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Duke  University  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/dmarsaffinityromOObloo 


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MY   ETERNAL  FUTURE  IS   IN   YOUR  KEEPING,"   SAID   HORACE, 

— Papre  220. 


D'MARS'  AFFINITY. 


ROMANCE    OF     LOVE'S     FINAL    TEST 
IN    TIME    AND    TIDE. 


BY 


J.    M.    BLOOMER. 


Illustrated   by    A.    D.    CONDO. 


"  Look  'round  our  world ;  behold  the  chain  of  love 
Combining  all  below  and  all  above, 
See  Plastic  Nature  working  to  this  end, 
The  single  atoms  each  to  other  tend. 
Attract,  attracted  to,  the  next  in  place. 
Formed  and  impelled  its  neighbor  to  embrace." 


New  York  : 
J.  S.  OGILVIE  PUBLISHING  COMPANY, 

57  Rose  Street. 


Copyright,  1903,  by 

J.  M.  BliOOMER. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAFER. 

1.  EESUSCITATED, 

2.  D'MARS'  FIRST  LOVE, 

3.  THE  BROKEN  VOW, 

4.  THE  ANCIENT  CITY,      . 

5.  CLEO'S  BANQUET,   . 

6.  P.\SSING  OF  THE  AGES, 

7.  IN  CENTROPOLIS,  . 

8.  THE  STRANGE  LIQUID, 

9.  AN  INSPIRATION,  . 

10.  MR.  VANSTINE, 

11.  TRAGEDY  OF  THE  CLIFF, 

12.  D'MARS'  DISCOVERY,    . 

13.  A  PROMOTER'S  BOOM, 

14.  COIHNNA  AND  EDITH, 

15.  LOVE'S  FINAL  TEST,      . 

16.  THE  DESERTED  BRIDE, 

17.  CORINNA'S  OCCULT  POWER, 

18.  TRIMMING  WALL  STREET, 

19.  A  SOCIAL  TRIUMPH,      . 

20.  THE  RECOGNITION,       . 

21.  SOLVING  THE  MYSTERY,    . 

22.  EDITH'S  HERO, 

23.  LORD  CALEDON  UNMASKED, 


PAGE. 

5 

10 
17 

23 

2d 

38 

47 

60 

70 

76 

90 
101 
112 
122 
133 
142 
150 
161 
174 
180 
186 
195 
201 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER. 

24.  SOCIETY  SHOCKED, 

25.  THE  COAL  FAMINE,       . 

26.  A  STAETLING  INNOVATION, 

27.  ETHEL'S  PHILOSOPHY, 

28.  FEAE  AND  Tv'OEEY, 

29.  ON  THE  EIVEE  OF  LIFE,    . 

30.  THE  MEETING  BEYOND,     . 

31.  TEIP  TO  MEECUEY, 

32.  SECEETS  OF  ASTEOLOGY,   . 

33.  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  SUN, 

34.  EEVEALING  THE  FUTUEE, 

35.  WED  IN  THE  SUNSHINE,    . 

36.  LOVE'S  VICTOEY  OVEE  SELF, 


PAGE. 
212 

221 
229 

239 
248 
259 
271 
277 
292 
301 
313 
326 
339 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


"My  eternal  future  is  in  your  keeping,"  said  Horace. 

"The  ladies  listened  in  breathless  silence  as  the 
hermit  proceeded." 

"Should  I  attempt  anything  rash  I  want  you  gentle- 
men to  restrain  me." 

"  That  man  is  Cobden,"  she  exclaimed. 

He  declared  with  a  tear  in  his  eye,  "  I  have  edited 
a  political  paper  too  long  to  learn  to  tell  the 
truth  now." 

"Worry  is  a  thief  and  anger  an  assassin,"  replied 
Ethel. 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE. 


In  offering  to  the  public  a  romance  entirely  new  in 
conception,  scope,  plot  and  inspiration,  a  prefatory 
note  may  be  in  place. 

D'Mars'  Affinity  is  primarily  a  romance  intended 
to  entertain,  edify,  divert  the  mind  and  appeal  to  the 
emotions ;  yet,  it  will  incite  speculation  and  possibly 
discussion.  While  its  field  of  adventure  is  almost 
limitless,  as  will  be  observed  by  a  glance  at  its  con- 
tents, all  the  latitude  permissible  in  romance  has  not 
been  appropriated. 

While  the  realms  of  the  new  thought  have  been 
invaded  and  the  search-light  is  occasionally  turned 
upon  the  sociologic  and  the  occult,  it  exploits  no 
theory,  intrudes  no  dogma  and  is  practically  free 
from  recondite  speculation,  didactics  and  preaching. 
It  furnishes  food  for  thought  on  new,  yet  old,  lines, 
and  it  is  exceptionally  free  from  that  tiresome  detail 
which  tends  to  distract  the  mind  and  impair  mental 
digestion. 

D'Mars'  persistent  efforts  to  find  his  true  affinity 
and  his  strange  and  marvelous  experiences,  will  sure- 
ly entertain  all  who  love  Nature  for  its  beauty,  its 
fidelity,  and  its  mystery.  Those  too,  who  have  loved 
and  lost,  or  who  have  drank  at  the  fountain  of  folly 


INTEODUCTORY    NOTE. 

and  saw  their  fondest  hopes  decay,  will  find  solace 
and  comfort  equally  with  the  altruist  who  supplants 
fear  and  worry  with  confidence  and  joy. 

The  story  is  told  in  conversational  style  without 
rhetorical  frills  or  literary  shackles.  I  have  sought 
to  exhibit  what  is  dangerous  in  sentiment  and  per- 
nicious in  action  by  vivid  portrayal  of  their  conse- 
quences, rather  than  by  imagery  of  evil,  thus  making 
it  a  book  for  youth  as  well  as  for  age.  As  to  reform : 
twenty  years'  experience  in  journalism  and  some  ob- 
servation convince  me  that  there  is  vastly  more  virtue 
than  vice  in  the  human  race,  and  that  to  develope 
the  good  is  the  duty  as  well  as  the  privilege  of  the 
world's  examplars. 

Love  is  the  real  life,  harmony  the  only  light,  and 
happiness  the  true  measure  of  success. 

D'Mars'  Affinity  is  a  book  for  to-day,  to-morrow, 
and  still  a  day.  What  is,  was,  and  what  is  to  be, 
already  has  been. 

The  Author. 


T>'cMars  aAffinity 


CHAPTER  I. 
Resuscitated. 

"Ethel!  My  lost  love!  My  Ethel!  Found  at 
last!     Never  to  part  again." 

These  were  the  impassioned  words  spoken  by  the 
supposed  corpse  of  a  young  gentleman  as  he  suddenly 
arose  to  life  in  his  casket,  and  extended  his  arms  to 
embrace  some  one,  just  as  the  funeral  obsequies  were 
about  to  begin. 

The  interruption  produced  a  panic  among  the 
mourners,  many  of  whom  made  a  hasty  exit. 

Apparently  not  realizing  his  predicament,  he  con- 
tinued in  earnest  tones  of  entreaty.  "Ethel,  my  love ! 
Where  art  thou  ?  Speak !  Tell  me  we  shall  never  be 
parted  again!" 

The  mourners'  eyes  were  riveted  on  the  strange 
scene,  in  speechless  amazement. 

Glancing  about,  the  young  man  recognized  his 
friends  and  neighbors  and  began  to  realize  his  predica- 
ment.   "What  does  this  mean  ?"  he  inquired  in  alarm. 

"You  have  been  sick,  but  you  are  all  right  again," 
said  a  bosom  friend  as  he  endeavored  to  assist  the  sup- 
posed corpse  from  its  casket. 

Apparently  not  noticing  the  explanation  and  ob- 


e  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

livlous  to  the  fate  he  escaped,  the  young  man  case  a 
scrutinizing  look  in  every  direction.  He  was  appar^ 
ently  still  under  the  spell,  and  searching  for  some  im- 
aginary person. 

"Have   you   not   seen  her?     She   was   here   this 
moment,"  he  said  in  tones  of  appeal  and  in  such  deep 
concern  that  his  life  seemed  to  depend  upon  the  an 
swer. 

"Who?  We  saw  no  one.  You  have  been  dream- 
ing," replied  his  friend. 

"Ethel,"  he  replied  with  a  look  of  perplexity  and 
disappointment.  "Did  no  one  see  a  beautiful  woman, 
graceful,  radiant  in  resplendent  beauty,  and  wearing 
a  wreath  of,  O  such  beautiful  flowers?" 

His  friends  shook  their  heads. 

"I  saw  her."  said  a  little  girl.  "She  was  beauti- 
ful ;  O,  so  beautiful !  She  stood  by  the  casket,  and 
Bald,  'Love  only  is  real  life,  truth  the  only  light.' 
You  reached  your  hands  toward  her  and  she  disap- 
peared." 

The  mourners  had  now  returned  and  some  smiled 
at  the  little  girl's  story. 

"Exactly  what  she  said,"  remarked  the  young 
man,  with  emphasis,  evidently  annoyed  by  the  light 
manner  in  which  many  treated  an  event  to  him  conse- 
crated by  hallowed  memories  and  imperishable  love. 

"You  are  all  right  now,  and  when  this  incident 
passes  away  you  will  be  your  old  self  again,"  said  his 
friend,  patting  him  on  the  back  as  he  helped  him  from 
the  casket. 

"My  friends,"  replied  the  young  man  in  impres- 
sive tones  and  words  that  burned,  "this  incident  as  you 
term  it,  will  never  pass  away.  Ethel,  the  beautiful, 
the  pure  and  the  good  angel  whom  this  little  girl  saw, 
and  to  whom  I  owe  my  release  from  perdition,  has 
been  my  affinity  since  the  dawn  of  creation.  For 
countless  ages.  I  have  wandered  about,  an  unfinished 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  7 

self,  a  half  being — a  sojourner  in  darkness.  Ethel  is 
essential  to  the  completion  of  my  being-.  I  must  find 
her.  All  my  time  and  effort  henceforth  shall  be  de- 
voted to  the  task  of  finding  my  missing  half,  my  af- 
finity," and  raising  his  hands  and  looking  upward,  he 
added,  "with  the  help  of  the  eternal  Spirit  of  all  power 
and  good,  I  shall  succeed." 

During  this  speech  the  silence  of  death  fell  upon 
the  crowd.  His  friends  looked  at  one  another  and 
shook  their  heads  ominously,  while  it  was  whispered, 
"His  mind  is  affected." 

The  young  man  who  so  miraculously  escaped  a 
living  grave,  was  conducted  to  his  room,  where  phy- 
sicians soon  arrived.  They  made  a  careful  examina- 
tion, asking  many  questions  as  they  proceeded. 

"Do  you  believe  that  you  were  conscious  during 
this  suspended  animation?"  one  of  the  doctors  asked. 

"I  know  that  I  was  conscious,"  replied  the  young 
man. 

"Have  you  any  recollection  of  an)rthing  that  oc- 
curred to  you?"  he  inquired. 

"I  have  a  very  distinct  recollection.  I  shall  not 
soon  forget  my  experiences,"  he  replied  with  apparent 
alarm. 

"I  suppose  you  were  horrified  over  the  prepara- 
tions for  your  funeral  ?" 

"I  knew  nothing  of  it  until  I  returned  to  my  body 
and  saw  myself  in  the  casket.  My  body  was  quite 
dead." 

The  physicians  glanced  at  one  another  with  a  look 
that  meant  "Crazy." 

Perceiving  this,  he  said :  "You  need  not  worry !  I 
am  as  sane  as  I  ever  was." 

At  this  juncture  a  half  dozen  reporters  called  for 
news. 

"You  could  not  expect  much  news  from  one  who 
has  been  dead  two  or  three  days  and  has  not  even  had 


8  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

time  to  glance  over  a  newspaper  sinc,e  his  restoration," 
said  the  young  man  with  a  smile. 

"But  the  public  will  be  wild  for  an  explanation  of 
the  alleged  remarks  of  the  materialized  spirit  at  your 
casket,  and  your  exclamation." 

"Can't  help  it.     I  have  no  explanation  to  make." 

"Who  is  this  Ethel,  anyway?"  inquired  the  So- 
ciety Editor  of  the  "Smart  Set." 

The  impudence  of  the  question,  coupled  with  the 
vulgar  insolence  of  the  Society  panderer,  under  the 
circumstances,  seemed  to  him  like  a  sacrilege.  But 
restraining  his  feelings,  he  replied  with  dignified  mein, 
that  he  had  no  statement  to  give  out  to  anyone  for  the 
present. 

"Why  do  you  refuse  to  narrate  your  experience?" 
inquired  one  of  the  physicians. 

"I  have  not  decided  yet  on  that  matter.  I  may  re- 
late it  sometime  and  again  I  may  not.  It  concerns  me 
alone.  Few  would  believe  it  in  this  age  of  egotism, 
conceit,  and  self  sufficiency." 

"How  do  you  know  ?"  said  the  physician,  "that  all 
your  sensations,  all  you  think  you  have  experienced, 
are  not  the  physical  workings  of  an  excited  brain  in  a 
state  of  trance  ?" 

He  smiled  as  he  replied:  "Now  gentlemen,  if  you 
have  the  least  regard  for  science,  do  not  talk  to  me  of 
the  physical  workings  of  a  dead  brain." 

"A  dead  brain,"  said  the  physician, 

"Certainly — a  dead  brain.  When  the  motive  pow- 
er of  physical  action  and  the  soul  are  not  working — 
are  absent — the  brain  is  as  dead  as  any  other  part  of 
the  body,"  he  replied,  as  he  arose  and  suggested  pleas- 
antly that  he  had  absolutely  nothing  to  give  out,  at 
present. 

A  leading  metropolitan  newspaper  oflFered  him 
$10,000  for  the  exclusive  right  to  publish  his  story. 
He  refused  the  offer  and  his  refusal  was  regarded  as 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  9 

conclusive  evidence  that  he  was  either  insane  or  that 
he  had  nothing  to  relate,  not  even  the  ingenuity  to  in- 
vent a  plausible  story. 

Day  by  day  the  impression  grew  on  him  that  he 
must  find  Ethel.  He  was  madly  in  love.  He  tried  to 
analyze  his  own  mind,  and  if  possible,  shake  off  the 
hallucination.  The  all-absorbing  passion  grew  on  him 
with  each  attempt  to  explain  it  awa^-.  As  the  poet 
said: 

"Still  o'er  these  scenes  my  memory  wakes, 
And  fondly  broods  with  miser  care. 

Time  but  the  impression  stronger  makes, 
As    streams    their   channels    deeper    wear, 

"My  Ethel,   dear  departed   shade! 

Where   is   thy  place  of  blissful  rest? 
See'st  thou  thy  lover  lowly  laid? 

Hear'st  thou  the  groans  that  rend  his  breast?" 


10  D' MA BS  AFFINITY. 


CHAPTER  II. 
D'Mars'  First  Love. 

The  young  man  was  Ozam  D'Mars,  He  had 
never  known  a  parent's  care  or  a  mother's  love.  He 
was  a  waif,  and  in  infancy  was  adopted  by  a  wealthy 
gentleman  and  wife,  who  had  no  children. 

About  two  years  after  his  adoption,  a  little  girl 
baby  was  sent  to  bless  their  home.  The  little  girl  was 
a  sufferer  from  congenital  disability,  and  although  all 
that  medical  skill  could  do  had  been  done  for  the  child, 
she  had  never  recovered  the  use  of  her  limb,  and  sha 
was  evidently  destined  to  go  through  life  a  cripple. 

But  little  Ethel  was  a  remarkably  bright  child. 
Her  physical  defect  was  more  than  compensated  in 
mental  ability.  She  seemed  to  know  by  intuition.  At 
the  age  of  five  she  was  a  musical  prodigy  as  well  as 
a  mental  wonder, 

D'Mars  was  a  remarkably  bright  boy.  Percep- 
tion, retentive  memory,  causality,  and  inductive  rea- 
soning, together  with  veneration,  were  his  dominant 
characteristics,  while  approbativeness  and  the  selfish 
group  were  normal,  or  small. 

He  and  Ethel  were  fast  and  inseparable  friends. 
They  never  teased  younger  children,  ever  sought  the 
happiness  of  their  playmates,  and  were,  of  course,  uni- 
versal favorites. 

But  for  them  there  was  no  lasting  happiness.  At 
the  age  of  five,  Ethel  began  to  fail.  It  was  soon  evi- 
dent that  the  grim  reaper  had  marked  her  for  his  own. 
Day  after  day  she  faded  like  a  gentle  flower,  in  the 
sight  of  her  broken-hearted  parents.  The  doctor  shook 
his  had  ominously  as  he  remarked,  the  mental  was  too 
strong  and  vigorous  for  the  physical. 

As  time  passed  on,  the  gentle  taper  burned  lower 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  11 

and  lower.  The  child  realized  her  condition.  With 
her  little  emaciated  arms  she  clasped  her  mother  and 
kissed  her  fondly,  saying,  "Mother,  dont'  weep  for  me. 
The  angels  await  me.  They  are  calling.  You  shall 
soon  follow.  They  are  calling  you  and  papa  too.  O, 
we  shall  be  so  happy." 

"Do  they  call  me  too?"  inquired  D'Mars,  who 
now  seldom  left  her  bedside. 

"No,  Ozy.  they  are  not  calling  you.     They  don't 
see  you.    You  are  surrounded  by  clouds." 
Ozy  looked  despondent  and  sad. 
"But  the  clouds  have  bright,  golden  edges  and  I 
can  see  a  brillianc  light  beyond,"  resumed  Ethel. 

"There,  now,  child,  keep  quiet;  and,  Ozy,  don't 
ralk  to  her  about  such  sad  things,"  said  the  distracted 
mother,  as  she  left  the  room,  trying  to  suppress  the 
tears  that  would  come. 

"You  will  think  of  me  when  I  am  gone,  won't 
you,  Ozy  ?" 

"I  shall  never  forget  you  as  long  as  I  live." 
"And  you  will  always  love  me?" 
"Always,  you  and  no  other." 
"But  when  you  are  a  big  man,  will  you  love  some 
one  else  and  forget  me?" 

"Never.  I  shall  always  love  you  and  no  one  else," 
said  Ozy.  as  he  pressed  her  delicate  hand  and  kissed 
her. 

"I  am  so  happy,  but  I  am  sorry  for  poor  mamma. 
She  can't  understand  that  the  angels  call^  me  and  I 
must  go." 

"Do  you  see  the  angels  ?" 

"O,  yes;  they  are  so  beautiful  and  they  sing  so 
sweetly.    Can't  you  hear  them  ?" 
"You  are  not  afraid  ?" 

"No,  Ozy,  I  am  not  afraid.  But  when  I  die  they 
will  bury  me.  They  will  dig  a  deep  hole  in  the  cold 
ground  and  put  me  in  it  and  cover  me  up  with  clay. 


12  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

I  am  afraid  to  be  put  under  the  ground.  That  makes 
me  shudder." 

"Don't  be  afraid  of  that.  The  angels  will  be  with 
you.     You  will  be  ever  so  happy  then." 

"If  you  could  only  come  with  me,  I  should  be  so 
happy.    I  would  not  be  afraid  then.    Can't  you  come  ?" 

"There  will  be  Another  with  you  who  can  do  more 
for  you  than  I.  Jesus  will  be  with  you.  He  is  greater 
than  all  the  angels.  He  made  them  and  made  you  and 
me.  He  will  raise  you  up  from  under  the  ground. 
You  will  be  beautiful  then;  just  like  the  angels.  You 
will  not  be  lame.  You  can  then  run  and  play  and  have 
a  good  time." 

"Then  I  will  not  stay  under  the  ground?" 

"No;  you  will  not.  This  poor,  imperfect  body 
may  stay  there,  but  you  will  have  another  body,  a  more 
perfect  body.  And  you  will  never  think  of  this  poor 
mortal  body." 

"Don't  talk  of  such  sad  things,  my  children.  Now 
Ethel,  you  need  rest.  Wouldn't  you  like  a  little  of 
this  delicious  clam  broth?" 

"No,  mamma;  I'm  not  hungry.  The  angels  want 
me  to  come.  They  are  very  near  now.  Kiss  me, 
mamma,  before  I  go." 

The  poor  mother  kissed  the  child  fondly.. 

"And  you,  too,  papa.  I  love  you  and  mamma  so 
much." 

"You  will  stay  here  and  hold  my  hand  until  I  go. 
won't  you?" 

Ozy  dropped  a  tear  as  he  pressed  the  hand  which 
was  now  growing  cold. 

"You  need  rest,  child.  Now  try  to  sleep,"  said  her 
mother,  as  she  held  the  little  hand,  and  wept. 

"Dont'  cry,  mamma ;  we  will  meet  again  soon, 
very  soon.  And  we  will  be  so  happy.  And  Ozy.  you 
will  always  love  me?" 

"Always,"  said  Ozy,  as  he  tried  to  keep  down  the 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  13 

lump  that  was  gatherings  in  his  throat,  for  he  saw 
that  the  end  was  near. 

With  a  sweet  smile  on  her  innocent  face,  the  child 
dropped  off  into  a  sleep.  Her  breath  came  shorter  and 
shorter.  Occasionally  she  made  a  spasmodic  effort  to 
regain  it.  Finally  she  said,  in  an  almost  inaudible 
voice,  "O,  mamma !"  and  all  was  over. 

Her  mother  never  recovered  from  the  shock,  and 
three  days  later,  mother  and  child  were  laid  in  the 
same  grave. 

For  days,  weeks  and  months  the  shadow  of  the 
great  bereavem.ent  hung  over  that  home.  While  sad 
at  heart  himself,  D'Mars  did  all  in  his  power  to  cheer 
the  bereaved  father  and  husband. 

With  time,  the  healer  of  all  wounds,  the  blow 
wore  away.  D'Mars'  school  days  vanished.  He  en- 
tered college,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  graduated 
with  high  honors.  But  his  joy  was  destined  to  be 
mixed  with  sadness. 

For  some  time  his  foster  father  had  been  failing 
in  health.  The  end  came.  He  passed  away  tranquilly 
as  a  child,  and  D'lMars  was  orphaned  a  second  time. 

The  will  was  probated,  and  aside  from  numerous 
bequests  to  charitable  institutions,  the  bulk  of  his  vast 
estate  was  left  to  D'Mars,  who  was  made  sole  executor, 
without  bond,  when  he  reached  his  majority;  mean- 
time the  estate  was  managed  by  three  trustees. 

During  the  ensuing  two  years  D'Mars  took  a 
course  in  technical  training,  taking  up  mechanical  and 
civil  engineering  and  metallurgy.  Meantime  he  had 
been  a  close  student  of  economic  science  and  became 
an  authority  on  social  and  industrial  problems. 

On  reaching  his  majority  he  found  himself  the 
owner  of  a  valuable  landed  estate.  His  estate  con- 
sisted of  five  thousand  acres  of  land,  upon  which  a 
large  city  was  making  rapid  encroachments.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  he  had  stocks,  bonds  and  money. 


14  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

He  had  developed  a  splendid  physique,  and  his 
mental  attributes  fully  equaled  his  physical  functions. 
Tall,  commanding,  well  educated,  highly  cultured,  of  a 
cheerful  and  obliging  disposition,  he  was  a  natural 
leader  of  men  and  affairs.  His  friends,  and  he  had 
plenty  of  them,  were  naturally  solicitous  for  his  wel- 
fare. The  natural  thing  for  him  to  do,  was  to  marry 
and  settle  down  to  business. 

The  social  gossips,  with  their  usual  acute  vision, 
had  his  name  connected  with  the  future  of  more  than 
one  marriageable  young  woman. 

Indeed,  D'Mars  himself  could  see  that  such  a  pro- 
gram was  the  natural  one  for  him  to  follow,  but  his 
mind  continually  turned  back  to  the  bedside  at  which 
he  sat  that  delightful  spring  evening  when  the  plain- 
tive voice  which  said,  "But  when  you  are  a  big  man 
will  you  not  love  some  one  else  and  forget  me?"  and 
his  answer,  "Never;  I  will  always  love  you  and  no 
one  else,"  came  back  to  him  as  an  admonition  from 
the  Beyond. 

D'Mars  was  naturally  a  man  of  correct  habits  and 
home  instincts.  He  felt  that  a  home  and  a  partner  for 
life  was  necessary  to  complete  his  happiness — even  his 
existence.  But  he  was  a  believer  in  love — first  love. 
He  had  loved  once.  He  never  could  have  another  first 
love.  It  is  true,  he  was  then  only  a  boy,  but  the  one 
he  loved  with  boyish  affection  had  taken  possession  of 
the  citadel  of  his  heart,  and  he  felt  certain  that  he 
never  could  give  the  same  throne  to  another.  He 
might  marry,  become  a  dutiful  husband,  it  is  true,  but 
it  would  only  be  a  partnership,  and  a  limited  one  at 
that.  Only  one  had  ever  lived  who  could  have  com- 
pleted his  being.  She  is  dead,  however.  Is  she  dead, 
or  does  she  await  him?  What  will  he  say  when  he 
meets  her  with  another  at  his  side — a  new  partner — 
and  a  broken  promise  ? 

In  this  perplexed  and  unsettled  state  of  mind  he 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  15 

awaited  events.  He  tried  to  banish  Ethel  from  his 
mind,  but  in  this  he  failed.  He  saw  her  in  his  dreams. 
She  was  no  longer  a  helpless  cripple.  She  had  devel- 
oped into  vigorous  and  beautiful  womanhood.  She 
still  loved  him.  She  seemed  at  times  sad  and  looked 
upon  him  beseechingly.  At  other  times  she  seemed 
far  above  him  in  some  exalted  station  of  life,  yet 
she  loved  him. 

As  time  passed,  he  tried  to  take  a  reasonable  and 
rational  view  of  the  situation.  Among  his  numerous 
female  acquaintances  was  one  most  beautiful  and 
worthy  young  woman.  She  had  been  a  friend  and 
playmate  of  Ethel  and  knew  of  his  boyish  infatuation. 
If  Ethel  were  out  of  the  question,  he  believed  he 
could  love  her.  He  knew  that  she  loved  him — with  at 
least  the  ordinary  brand  of  the  article  floating  in  the 
social  market  under  the  name  of  love.  He  would  tell 
her  all,  lay  his  heart  open  to  her  and  ask  her  to  be- 
come his  wife.  H  she  accepted  a  heart  in  which  an- 
other was  enthroned,  he  would  marry  her. 

With  this  reasonable  resolve  in  mind,  he  retired 
to  sleep. 

Next  day  the  town  was  startled  with  the  announce- 
ment that  D'Mars  had  been  found  dead  in  his  bed 
that  morning. 

"He  retired  in  his  usual  good  health,"  said  th«i 
Evening  News.  "Not  having  appeared  for  breakfast 
this  morning,  a  servant  entered  his  chamber  and  found 
him  in  the  cold  embrace  of  death.  The  coroner  was 
summoned  at  once.  After  a  careful  examination,  he 
was  unable  to  determine  whether  it  was  death,  or  a 
case  of  suspended  animation.  He  summoned  two 
prominent  physicians,  who  examined  the  supposed 
corpse.  They  were  unable  to  agree.  One  thought  he 
was  in  a  trance,  while  the  other  insisted  that  he  was 
dead.  Under  the  circumstances,  no  arrangements  have 
yet  been  made  for  the  funeral.     The  famous  expert, 


18  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

,  has  been  wired  and  will  probably  ar- 
rive this  afternoon.  There  are  no  evidences  of  suicide. 
He  had  no  heirs,  and  no  will  can  be  found,  and  should 
he  be  really  dead,  the  disposition  of  his  vast  estate 
is  a  question  that  will  no  doubt  occupy  the  attention  of 
the  courts  and  the  legal  fraternity  for  some  time  to 
come." 

When  the  expert  arrived,  he  was  unable  to  decide 
the  question.  But  he  suggested  that  the  corpse  be  held 
at  least  until  rigidity  is  more  pronounced. 

After  three  days,  the  physicians  all  agreed  that 
he  was  really  dead  and  the  preparations  for  the  funeral 
services  bring  us  to  the  opening  chapter. 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  " 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Broken  Vow. 

A  few  days  later  D'Mars  called  in  some  of  his 
closest  friends,  to  whom  he  related  his  strange  dream, 
or  vision,  rather. 

"You  all  know,"  he  said,  "of  my  love,  or  mfatua- 
tion,  whatever  you  may  term  it,  for  poor  little  Ethel, 
who  died  fifteen  years  ago,  when  I  was  a  seven-year- 
old  boy.    You  know  of  the  promise  I  made  her,  that 
she  only  would   ever  be  enthroned   in   my  heart   of 
hearts.     I  have  wrestled  for  years  with  that  promise. 
I  have  tried  to  look  upon  it  as  a  boyish  pledge,  but  the 
more  I  try  to  overcome  my  scruples,  the  more  firmly 
she  has  been  enthroned  in  my  heart.     You  may  con^ 
sider  me  foolish  or  insane,  but  my  trance  has  convmced 
me  that  she  is  my  affinity  and  inseparably  connected 
with  my  destiny,  here  and  hereafter.     And  you  will 
be  surprised  when  I  assure  you  that  I  believe  she  is 
living  in  mortality  and  that  I  shall  find  her." 
"You  know  she  is  dead,"  remarked  a  friend. 
"I  saw  her  poor  little  body  buried.    That  is  true. 
But  if  my  vision  is  not  a  complete^hallucination  and  a 
deception,  she  is  now  in  mortality." 

"Of  course  it  is  a  hallucination,"  said  another  of 

the  group. 

"Well,  now  just  wait  until  you  hear  my  story,  i 
have  tried  to  overcome  the  effect  of  my  promise  to  her 
and  my  love  for  her ;  now,  after  fifteen  years,  it  is  my 
all-absorbing  passion.  ,   t  u  a 

"On  the  night  of  mv  trance,  as  it  is  termed,  1  had 
decided  to  violate  that  promise,  and  propose  marriage 
to  a  most  estimable  lady  whom  you  all  know  and  re- 
spect.    I  retired  in  my  usual  good  health,  and,  as  i 


18  D'EABS  AFFINITY. 

suppose,  was  soon  asleep.  Some  time  during  the  night 
I  thought  I  awoke. 

"I  experienced  a  sudden  burning  pain  in  my  head. 
Every  nerve  in  my  body  seemed  to  be  stretched  to  the 
utmost  tension,  then  drawn  from  me,  as  a  forest  tree 
might  be  drawn  from  the  ground. 

"My  next  sensation  was  that  of  sinking  in  dark- 
ness. I  no  longer  suffered  pain.  But  I  was  overcome 
with  a  terrible  fear  of  impending  danger.  The  awe 
of  that  darkness,  it  makes  me  shudder  even  now. 

"I  felt  that  worlds  and  oceans  rolled  over  my 
head,  and  still  I  descended  lower  and  lower  into  a 
darkness  so  oppressive  that  I  could  feel  it. 

"My  impression  was  that  I  was  dead  and  on  my 
way  to — where?  That  was  the  question.  I  had  now 
sunk  beyond  sense  and  time  into  some  bottomless  gulf 
of  oblivion.  Finally,  light  began  to  dawn.  I  could 
discern  objects  dimly.  They  became  more  definite. 
The  light  increased.  I  discovered  that  I  was  not  alone. 
I  had  a  companion. 

"'Who  art  thou,  and  where  are  we  giping?'  I 
inquired. 

"  'I  am  Ariel.  I  am  the  spirit  that  separates  the 
soul,  the  real  living  spirit,  from  the  mortal  body.  Your 
body  is  now  dead,  so  far  as  real  life  is  concerned.  It 
is  unconscious  and  senseless,  although  the  mortal 
principle  of  animal  life  still  animates  it.' 

"'Whither  are  we  going?  What  is  to  become 
of  me?' 

"  'I  am  instructed  to  convey  you  back  many  ages 
into  the  distant  past,  in  order  that  you  may  review  a 
small  section  of  your  past  existence.  When  we  reach 
the  light  I  shall  open  to  you  the  book  of  mortal  life. 
To  you  shall  be  revealed  your  existence  since  you  fell 
fiom  grace,  and  you  are  to  have  a  glimpse  of  the  hap- 
piness you  abandoned,  when  you  rebelled  against  God. 

"  'Then  I  am  on  my  way  to  judgment?' 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  19 

"  'You  are  on  the  way  to  judgjnent.  You  shall 
see  the  book  of  life  and  you  shall  be  the  judge/ 

"'How  long  am  I  to  endure  punishment?' 

"  'That  depends  upon  yourself.  You  are  a  free 
agent.  Your  free  will  is  still  yours.  All  your  suflfer- 
ings  are  the  result  of  your  own  choice.  We  shall  soon 
arrive  in  Satan's  Empire.  You  and  your  comrades  in 
rebellion  made  Satan's  Empire.  You  made  Satan 
ruler  of  it.  You  served  him  and  he  has  led  you  a 
merry  race.  You  can  abandon  him  when  you  so  9e- 
cide.  You  have  serv^ed  this  evil  spirit  of  your  own 
creation  for  ages  on  ages,  and  sin  and  suffering  has 
been  your  reward.' 

"We  slowly  emerged  into  light.  Our  travels  grad- 
ually ceased.  A  world  of  exceeding  beauty  opened  up 
to  us.  Delightful  music  floated  on  the  air.  Our  flight 
ceased.  We  stood  before  a  massive  wall  that  seemed 
to  rise  to  the  clouds.  Inscribed  on  this  wall  in  letters 
of  immense  proportions  were  the  words,  'SIN  AND 
SUFFERING.' 

"We  approached  a  gate  and  entered  a  vestibule. 

"Ariel  touched  a  button  and  a  stereoscope  opened. 

"  'By  looking  in  that  glass,'  said  Ariel,  'you  shall 
see  yourself  in  Paradise  before  you  rebelled.'  I  looked 
in  the  stereoscope.  The  scene  was  enchanting.  It  pre- 
sented a  world  of  beauty  and  harmony,  music  and 
song.  The  inhabitants  were  exceedingly  beautiful. 
In  general  appearance  the  surface  of  that  world  very 
much  resembled  the  Earth.  But  there  was  no  com- 
parison, no  conflict,  no  evidence  of  war.  All  business 
was  conducted  harmoniously. 

"I  saw  myself  and  my  affinity.  She  was  a  most 
beautiful  woman.  We  were  exceedingly  happy.  Work 
was  a  pleasure;  nothing  to  worry  over.  No  sickness, 
no  death. 

"The  scene  changed.  Then  appeared  many 
worlds.     The  inhabitants  passed  from  world  to  world 


20  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

by  an  act  of  volition.  They  were  at  home  and  among 
friends  everywhere.     All  was  harmony 

"  'There  was  your  home  prior  to  the  fall  of  man. 
You  notice  that  all  have  affinities.  All  life  has  its  pos- 
itive and  negative  affinities.  It  requires  both  to  make 
one  complete  whole.     Now  behold  the  fall  of  man.' 

"Ariel  touched  another  button  and  all  connection 
and  communication  between  the  various  worlds  was 
cut  off  and  confusion  reigned  everywhere.  Finally 
there  was  only  one  world  in  sight.  I  saw  myself  alone. 
I  had  lost  my  affinity.  Men  grew  selfish  and  began  to 
plunder  one  another.  Some  quit  work  and  began  to 
live  off  the  labor  of  others.  These  non-producers 
called  themselves  promoters  and  speculators.  They 
appropriated  to  themselves  the  natural  means  of  exis- 
tence and  taxed  others  for  opportunity  to  toil.  They 
began  to  accumulate  wealth.  The  plundered  producers 
rebelled  and  made  trouble.  The  wealthy  built  castles 
and  employed  garrisons  of  soldiers  to  protect  the 
fruits  of  their  plunder.  As  the  turmoil  increased,  the 
wealthy  saw  the  necessit}^  of  stronger  government. 
So  they  selected  kings  and  the  kings  conferred  titles 
on  the  wealthy  and  declared  them  nobles. 

"After  the  divine  law  was  discarded  and  man- 
made  law  set  up  in  its  stead,  affinities  became  sepa- 
rated. Man  was  governed  by  passion  rather  than 
reason.  A  race  of  what  was  known  as  the  children 
of  man  followed.  The  period  of  mortal  life  was  cur- 
tailed. In  the  early  stages  of  the  downfall,  man  lived 
two  or  three  thousand  years.  His  life  record  was  re- 
duced as  disease  increased  until  two  hundred  years 
was  about  the  limit.  With  disease  came  doctors  or 
medicine  men.  As  the  doctors  increased  the  period  of 
life  grew  shorter,  until  it  was  reduced  to  one  hundred 
years  or  less.  It  was  a  question,  even  then,  whether 
it  was  the  doctors  and  drugs  that  produced  the  disease 
or  the  disease  that  produced  the  doctors  and  drugs. 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  21 

"Durlnsr  all  this  time,  there  were  a  few  men  and 
women  who  had  not  rebelled.    They  sounded  notes  of 
warning  of  the  evils  to  come.     These  men  were  con 
sidered  cranks  and  no  heed  was  given  to  them.  _ 

"In  his  pride,  man  could  not  endure  the  idea  of 
annihilation.  Within  him,  the  spiritual  light  of  eternal 
truth  burned  dimlv.  It  was  surrounded  and  darkened 
by  the  clouds  of  erroneous  mortal  mmd.  But  it  con- 
stantly reminded  men  of  an  immortal  destiny  and  a 
Power  that  governed  matter.  They,  therefore,  wor- 
shipped a  God.  hoped  for  future  reward  and  feared 

^""' '"The" kings  and  nobles  observed  this  fear  of  fu- 
ture punishment  so  deeply  grounded  in  the  mmds  of 
the  masses,  and  decided  to  turn  it  to  account.  So  they 
made  gods  for  the  people  and  from  their  class  selec  ed 
priests  to  act  as  mediators  between  these  gods  and  the 
people  These  priests  surrounded  their  hand-made 
gods  with  all  sorts  of  mysteries.  They  endowed  them 
with  the  human  passions  of  the  age.  For  instance, 
these  gods  were  fond  of  praise  and  flattery.  _  ihey 
were  easily  irritated,  generally  angry,  and  visited  all 
sorts  of  dire  punishments  upon  those  who  failed  to 
worship  and  praise  and  flatter  them.  The  king  ruled 
by  their  authoritv,  and  in  his  love  of  praise  and  flattery 
and  in  his  moods  of  anger,  he  very  much  resembled 
them.  This  was  the  ori^-in  of  the  doctrine  that  the 
king  is  a  sacred  person  and  ruled  by  diVine  right. 

"After  this  idolatrous  worship  was  made  a  govern- 
ment institution  and  divinity  fixed  in  the  minds  of  the 
masses,  the  kings  and  nobles  had  easy  sailing.  Every- 
thing thev  did  was  directed  by  the  gods  and  any  one 
who  questioned  the  decrees  of  the  gods  was  put  to 
death  for  heresy. 

"It  is  needless  to  say  that  these  priests  were  mere 
charlatans  and  hypocrites,  barring  a  few  fanatics. 
Th^v.  vMorL-Pcl  tmon  the  fear^  oi  the  masses  and  sub-- 


22  B'MABS  AFFINITY. 

jects,  by  preaching  future  punishment  until  people 
were  tired  of  Hfe  and  afraid  to  die.  But  there  were 
rewards,  too,  and  plenty  of  them  for  those  who  in  their 
loyalty,  implicitly  obeyed  the  king  and  contributed 
liberally  to  the  support  of  the  temple.  Thus  the  little 
spark  of  divine  light  intended  to  direct  fallen  man  back 
to  his  Creator  was  turned  to  the  basest  purposes  and 
used  to  degrade  and  enslave  him. 

"For  ages  and  ages  I  saw  myself  passing  through 
all  the  stages  of  barbarism.  In  one  mortal  existence 
I  was  the  lowest  of  serfs.  In  another,  I  would  be  a 
freeman,  so  called  and  doing  my  utmost  to  enslave 
ethers.  At  one  time  I  would  be  executed  for  crime ; 
at  another,  I  would  be  the  executioner.  I  noticed  that 
after  I  was  executed  on  some  charge  or  other,  I  would 
come  back  into  the  next  mortal  existence  more  vi- 
cious than  ever.  I  wanted  to  get  even  with  society. 
But  I  could  not  tell  why.  I  had  no  remembrance  of 
any  former  existence.  In  some  ages,  society  would 
make  considerable  progress.  But  through  pride,  in- 
justice and  greed,  it  would  again  relapse  into  barbar- 
ism. 

"I  noticed  one  peculiarity  of  the  human  race,  that 
seemed  to  hold  good  in  all  ages  and  under  all  circum- 
stances. That  was  a  disposition  to  regard  the  present 
as  the  greatest  and  most  enlightened  age  of  the  world 
and  look  upon  the  past  with  supreme  contempt.  There 
was,  however,  one  exception  to  this  rule.  Every  step 
taken  by  the  courts  to  enable  the  favored  few  to  appro- 
priate to  themselves  the  rights  and  even  the  means  of 
existence  of  the  masses  and  toilers,  was  compiled  in 
books  known  as  supreme  court  decisions  and  reverent- 
ly held  up  as  the  sum  of  human  wisdom  and  the  law 
of  the  land. 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  23 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Ancient  City. 

"After  witnessing  my  progress  through  countless 
ages  of  sin,  suffering  and  misery,  I  found  myself  in 
Multo;  a  magnificent  city  which  boasted  of  5,000,000 
population.  The  arts  and  sciences  were  carried  to  a 
high  state  of  perfection.  Magnificent  ocean  steamers 
floated  lazily  at  the  docks  and  scores  of  railways 
poured  the  wealth  of  the  land  into  this  mart  of  trade. 
The  city  was  regularly  laid  out  with  broad  streets,  and 
avenues,  magnificent  parks,  lakes,  fountains,  statues, 
and  public  temples.  Along  the  palisades  on  the  eastern 
side  were  the  palatial  residences  of  wealth,  pride  and 
culture.  The  business  center  was  rather  circum- 
scribed, but  what  was  wanting  in  area  was  made  up 
in  altitude  of  buildings,  some  of  which  were  fifty 
stories  high  and  filled  with  business  offices. 

"The  sub-treasury  and  the  banks  were  confined  to 
a  small  area  and  it  was  the  boast  of  Multo,  that  they 
held  in  their  vaults  over  five  thousand  million  dollars, 
gold  and  silver.  Immediately  north  of  the  business 
center  was  the  Temple  of  Jupiter  and  adjoining  it  on 
the  north  were  the  palaces  of  the  priests.  In  the 
vaults  of  the  temple  and  those  palaces  were  held 
over  one  thousand  milUons  dollars  in  gold  coin,  while 
the  ornaments  and  sacred  vessels,  all  solid  gold,  were 
said  to  be  worth  another  thousand  millions. 

"But  alongside  this  untold  wealth,  overflowing  in 
sky-scrapers,  palatial  mansions,  noted  social  functions 
and  magnificent  church  edifices,  and  intermingling 
with  this  princely  pomp,  was  gross  immorality,  cor- 
ruption in  high  places  and  the  most  extreme  poverty 


24  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

and  suffering  among  the  poor.  In  the  latter  districts 
I  beheld  men,  women  and  children  thinly  and  shabbily 
clad  and  carrying  dinner  pails,  on  their  way  to  toil  in 
the  vast  factories  and  mines.  The  sidewalks  and 
streets  were  filled  with  humanity,  if  such  a  name  may 
be  applied  to  mere  human  wreckage. 

"On  they  came  in  seemingly  endless  procession. 
There  were  the  lame  and  the  halt ;  old  men  and  women 
whose  gray  hair,  haggard  faces  and  emaciated  forms 
indicated  that  the  struggle  for  existence  was  for  them, 
almost  ended.  Young  men  and  women,  and  mere 
children ;  no  elasticity  to  their  step,  no  sparkle  of  youth 
in  their  eye.  Stamped  upon  their  faces  was  that  intense 
look  that  marks  the  sad  struggle  for  food  that  they  had 
just  entered  upon  and  which  ends  in  death,  or  worse. 

"In  shabbily  tattered  garments,  the  countless  multi- 
tude marched — the  deathlike  silence  not  even  broken 
by  a  word  from  the  children.  It  appeared  like  Resur- 
rection day  and  that  I  beheld  the  endless  procession  of 
the  condemned  after  final  judgment,  on  their  aw^ful 
march  to  eternal  damnation. 

"For  this  vast  multitude,  the  sunshine  of  life  was 
extinguished ;  the  star  of  hope  was  dead ;  anticipation, 
sweet  illusion  that  buoys  us  up  on  the  dark  and  stormy 
seas  of  disappointment,  was  banished  from  their  sight. 
They  felt  that  they  were  automatons  in  the  hand  of 
some  merciless  fate ;  that  tomorrow  had  nothing  better 
in  store  for  them ;  the  same  hopeless,  crushing,  grind- 
ing struggle  awaited  them. 

"The  worst,  however,  is  yet  to  be  told.  I  saw  my- 
self amid  this  splendid  degradation.  I  was  a  multi- 
millionaire and  a  labor  grinder.  I  owned  a  fine  pal- 
ace. I  was  a  magnate  and  a  hj^pocritical  worshiper 
of  Jupiter.  I  opposed  every  effort  of  the  toilers  to 
secure  justice,  and  I  was  a  most  bitter  enemy  of  the 


B'MARS  AFFINITY.  25 

prophet  Jonas,  who  proclaimed  the  destruction  of 
Multo  unless  the  people  speedily  repented. 

"Jonas  had  a  large  following  a,mong  the  common 
people  and  he  was  regarded  as  a  dangerous  anarchist. 
Yet,  because  of  his  following  among  the  toilers  who 
were  on  the  verge  of  open  revolt,  the  authorities  were 
afraid  to  arrest  him. 

"Jonas,  however,  predicted  the  destruction  of  Multo 
and  all  Pluto,  on  a  certain  date.  The  authorities  only 
laughed  at  his  prediction  and  decided  on  that  day  to 
arrest  and  execute  him  as  a  false  prophet.  They  knew 
how  quickly  the  mob  will  turn  upon  a  leader. 

"The  people  were  very  much  alarmed,  however, 
over  Jonas'  prediction.  In  order  to  allay  their  fears, 
arrangements  were  made  for  a  multitude  of  banquets 
on  that  night.  Amid  the  rejoicing  Jonas  was  to  be 
arrested  and  the  following  morning  the  great  metro- 
politan press  was  to  demand  that  he  be  put  to  death  as 
a  disturber. 

"The  day  arrived,  men  refused  to  work.  The  mul- 
titude walked  the  streets  in  lamentation.  An  extra 
police  force  was  put  on  guard.  Noon  came  and  the 
afternoon  passed,  and  evening  came  and  still  Multo 
was  safe.  Jonas  was  a  false  prophet.  The  banquets 
proceeded ;  the  streets  were  filled  with  happy  people  on 
their  way  to  the  temples  and  banquet  halls.  It  was  to 
be  a  night  of  unrestrained   reveling  and  debauchery. 

"The  first  duty  of  the  faithful  on  that  memorable 
niglit  was  to  attend  service  in  some  of  the  numerous 
temples.  The  sacrifice  to  Jupiter,  in  which  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  followers  of  Jonas  were  to  be  slain,  was 
the  chief  feature  of  the  servace.  Of  these  victims,  there 
were  one  hundred  and  fifty  women  and  one  hundred 
men.  The  discrimination  against  women  was  based  on 
the  belief  that  women  were  more  religious  than  men 


26  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

and  capable  of  doing  more  proselyting,  owing  to  their 
natural  disposition  to  talk.  The  sacrificial  victims 
were  divided  among  the  various  temples,  each  being 
allotted  at  least  two,  and  none  receiving  a  greater 
number  than  five,  except  the  chief  temple,  where  the 
faithful  enjoyed  the  death  of  ten — four  males  and  six 
females.  A  goat  was  also  brought  into  each  temple, 
whose  fate  it  was  to  receive  on  his  head,  at  the  hands  of 
the  priest,  all  the  sins  of  the  faithful.  After  receiving 
this  cargo  of  woe,  the  goats  were  to  be  banished  to  the 
forest  where  they  were  tied  to  trees  until  they  perished. 
This  beautiful  ceremony  took  place  after  the  sacri- 
fice. 

"In  the  main  temple  where  I  attended,  there  were 
20,000  worshipers  present.  The  colossal  idol  Jupiter 
was  almost  buried  in  flowers.  All  the  decorations  were 
on  the  same  lavish  scale.  Four  hundred  persons  ar- 
rayed in  rich  robes  officiated  in  the  sanctuary.  Eight 
hundred  little  girls  dressed  in  white,  and  carrying 
wreaths,  chanted  the  songs  of  Jupiter  as  they  strewed 
flowers  through  the  broad  aisles.  They  were  followed 
by  sixteen  priests,  who  in  turn  were  followed  by  the 
great  serpent;  Malo,  forty  feet  long,  which  symbolized 
the  wrath  of  Jupiter  against  sorcerers  and  unebelievers. 

"After  this  procession,  the  choir  struck  up  an  ava- 
lanche of  music.  The  immense  organ  was  aided  by 
bells,  c_ymbals.  horns,  and  stringed  instruments.  It  was 
attuned  to  quick  time  and  every  nerve  of  the  audience 
vibrated  in  unison  with  this  lively  music. 

"The  high  priest  followed  with  an  appropriate  ser- 
mon, which  I  shall  not  attempt  to  repeat.  He  was  very 
bitter  in  his  denunciation  of  Jonas,  the  false  phrophet. 
He  recounted  the  blessings  that  Jupiter  had  showered 
on  the  people,  notwithstanding  their  ingratitude.  His 
chief  denunciations  were  hurled  against  agitators  who 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  27 

criticised  moral,  social  and  industrial  conditions,  and 
railed  against  capital.  He  dwelt  in  glowing  terms  on 
the  great  work  performed  by  the  millionaires  for  the 
welfare  of  society ;  but  for  them  labor  would  be  unem- 
ployed, and  tens  of  thousands  of  women,  who  now  live 
in  luxurious  ease,  would  be  on  the  streets.  To  criti- 
cise these  men  who  had  accumulated  vast  wealth  was 
to  oppose  the  will  of  Jupiter,  to  fly  in  the  face  of  a 
god,  who  wisely  distributed  his  favors  as  he  saw  best 
for  all.  He  demanded  a  more  rigid  enforcement  of  the 
law  against  low-down,  disreputable  houses,  saloons  and 
dance  halls.     In  conclusion  he  said : 

"  'You  are  now  to  see  ten  of  these  Jonas  heretics 
expiate  their  sacrilege  against  Jupiter.  They  have  had 
a  last  opportunnty  to  recant,  but  imbued  with  the  spirit 
of  the  devil,  they  have  maintained  their  stubbornness  to 
the  end.  All  that  I  am  sorry  for  is  that  we  were  un- 
able to  secure  Jonas  himself.  Like  all  these  disturbers 
and  social  and  industrial  agitators,  he  manages  to  save 
himself.  But  this  is  only  the  beginning  of  the  end. 
]\lulto  is  safe.  Pluto  is  safe.  Soon  you  shall  visit  the 
banquet  halls.  There  you  shall  enjoy  still  more  of  the 
blessings  and  enjoyments  that  Jupiter  has  prepared  for 
you,  even  in  mortal  existence.' 

"This  sermon  was  received  with  rapturous  and  pro- 
longed applause.  The  wealth,  beauty  and  aristocracy 
of  M'ulto  were  present.  Acres  of  silk,  satins,  laces  and 
jewels  heaved  like  ocean  waves  as  the  audience  cheered 
the  speaker.  Like  a  roar  of  euphonious  artillery,  the 
music  mingled  with  the  plaudits,  until  the  immense 
marble  and  granite  columns  and  dome  of  the  auditori- 
um seemed  to  quiver  and  vibrate. 

"The  sacrificial  bell  now  sounded  in  thunder  tones. 
Silence  was  instantly  restored.  The  hands  of  the  great 
clock  pointed  to  the  figure  nine,  the  hour  of  sacrifice. 


28  D'MABS  AFFINiry. 

The  music  ceased,  the  audience  was  hushed.  By  a  me- 
chanical device  not  known  to  the  populace,  Jupiter 
spoke.     He  said  in  solemn  tones  : 

"  'Multo  is  safe.  Bring  on  the  renegades.  Let 
them  die.     So  be  it  with  all  apostates.' 

"A  side  door  leading  into  the  sanctuary  opened. 
The  ten  followers  of  Jonas  were  led  in  by  guards  in 
scarlet  uniform.  The  victims  were  clad  in  dark 
shrouds.  Each  was  quickly  bound  on  an  iron  truck 
which  stood  in  front  of  Jupiter.  A  large  panel  in  the 
base  and  beneath  Jupiter's  feet  was  drawn  aside,  re- 
vealing a  white-hot  furnace  or  crematory.  The  truck 
carrying  its  load  of  human  freight  was  quickly  run  into 
the  furnace  and  the  panel  replaced.  The  music  started 
up  and  the  audience  cheered  vociferously.  Another 
bell  sounded  and  silence  was  resumed.  The  scape-goat 
was  led  in.  The  high  priest  In  solemn  tones  evoked 
Jupiter  to  cast  all  the  sins  of  the  faithful  upon  the  goat's 
guilty  head.  Jupiter  of  course  obeyed,  and  the  goat 
was  led  out,  casting  a  vicious  glance  at  the  audience 
as  he  walked  away  carrying  his  unholy  load. 

"Music  and  cheers  followed,  after  which  the  faithful 
departed  for  the  banquet  halls. 


D' MARIS  AFFINITY. 


29 


CHAPTER  V. 

Cleo's  Banquet. 

"Accompanied  by  a  half  dozen  young  millionaires 
of  high  social  standing,  I  now  set  out  to  finish  the  night 
at  Madam  Cleo's  Porphyry  Palace.     Madam  Cleo  was 
a  famous  lobbyist  who  had  accumulated  a  vast  fortune. 
The  Porphyry  Palace  was  located  near  the  National 
Capital  and  was  headquarters  for  promoters,  senators 
and  lobbyists.     I   shall  not  enter  into  a  too  minute 
description  of  the  business  of  Madam  Cleo,  further 
than  to  say  that  few  of  her  guests  would  care  to  admit 
that  they  attended  her  social  functions.     To  repeat  the 
names  of  her  guests  was  considered  a  dangerous  libel. 
_  "On  this  particular  occasion  Madam  Cleo's  enter- 
tamment  was  to  surpass  all  other  courts,  for  she  was  a 
special  enemy  of  Jonas.     The  guests  were  all  men,  one 
hundred  m  number,  and  ranging  in  age  from  twenty- 
five  to  forty-five  and  even  fifty  years.     They  were  ele- 
gantly attired  in  full  dress.     Their  immaculate  white 
bosoms,  cuffs  and  fingers  sparkled  with  gems.     They 
were  men  of  culture  and  exceedingly  polite  and  court- 
ly in  their  manners. 

"The  first  order  was  for  wines,  cordials  and  tonics 
only.  As  the  wines  began  to  take  effect,  conversation 
grew  more  animated.  Soft  strains  of  music,  instru- 
mental and  vocal,  floated  in  through  the  open  case- 
ments. Politics,  business  and  science  were  discussed 
cis  the  banquet  proceeded.  Good-natured  witticisms 
and  repartee  were  indulged  in  and  occasionally  the  dis- 
cussions reached  a  degree  of  tartness  that  bordered 
dangerously  upon  acrimony,  but  melted  away  without 
rupture. 


V'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"1  had  excellent  opportunity  to  study  and  analyze 
these  voluptuous  revellers.  Pride,  conceit,  vanity,  dis- 
dain— self,  self  first,  last  and  all  the  time,  were  indeli- 
bly stamped  on  each  countenance.  To  the  advantages 
of  university  education  was  added  social  and  cultured 
polish.  Their  ribaldry  and  coarse  jests  were  couched 
in  choice  and  delicate  language.  Their  broad  inuendoes 
were  pointed  enough  but  not  coarse  or  vulgar.  They 
enjoyed  their  sensual  debauch  with  a  delicate,  wanton 
refinement  far  more  dangerous  to  the  plastic  mind  than 
the  boisterous  language  of  a  low  wine  room,  for  the 
latter  has  its  safety  valve  in  disgust.  In  these  scions  of 
aristocracy,  these  shining  social,  lights,  these  cultured 
roues,  I  scented  a  subtle  poison,  an  all-pervading  mias- 
ma, that  inoculates  the  mind,  blunts  the  moral  senses, 
and  drags  the  victim  to  the  deepest  depths  of  degrada- 
tion long  before  he  even  suspects  his  condition,  and 
leaves  him  a  stranded  wreck  of  manhood. 

"But  I  had  little  time  for  meditation.  At  a  signal 
from  Cleo,  the  waiters  filled  the  banquet  chamber  and 
in  less  time  than  it  requires  to  relate  it,  the  tables  were 
all  removed  through  folding  doors  to  another  hall. 
Thus  was  left  a  large  open  space  in  the  center.  Most 
delightful  strains  of  music  followed.  Singers'  voices 
were  next  heard;  nearer  and  nearer  they  came.  The 
guests  straightened  up  somewhat,  some  sitting  erect 
and  others  leaning  upon  their  elbows  in  a  fashion  of 
exquisite  indolence.  The  folding  doors  slowly  opened 
and  a  galaxy  of  singing  and  dancing  girls  filed  noise- 
lessly as  fairies  into  the  pavilion.  A  sigh  of  half  sur- 
pressed  applause  greeted  them.  All  were  gems  of 
feminine  beauty.  Dreamy,  yet  sparkling  bright  eyes, 
wavy  hair,  blond,  golden  auburn  and  raven  black, 
floated  over  pearly  shoulders  and  perfectly  rounded 
arms.     Their  robes  of  snowy  white  were  lig'ht  as  down 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  31 

and  sufficiently  abbreviated  to  meet  the  approval  of 
our  most  fastidious  admirers  of  the  stage  dance. 

.  "The  guests  frequently  summoned  waiters  and 
partook  of  liberal  libations  as  the  giddy  whirl  pro- 
ceeded. 

"The  music  now  became  faster  and  faster  and  the 
dancers  kept  pace  with  it.  The  wine  had  been  flowing 
freely.  The  guests  were  in  a  wliirl  of  excitement. 
Many  of  them  joined  in  the  dance. 

"Cold  chills  crept  over  me  as  I  viewed  myself 
through  the  telescope  of  the  past,  a  participant  in  this 
wild  debauch. 

"  'Is  this  really  a  true  picture  of  my  past  experi- 
ence?" I  inquired  of  Ariel,  who  stood  by  my  side. 

"  'You  can  rely  upon  it,'  he  replied. 

"But  I  had  little  time  for  inquiry.  The  scene  was 
rapidly  unfolding  and  our  conversation  was  cut  short. 
At  that  instant  a  vivid  lightning  flash,  accompanied  by 
an  instantaneous  crash  of  thunder — sudden — awful — 
shattered  the  glass  and  shook  the  Porphyry  Palace  to 
its  foundation.  The  scene  of  revel  had  ceased.  Cleo 
had  abandoned  her  throne  and  was  rushing  about 
v/ildly  with  the  guests,  seeking  safety.  I  saw  myself 
pass  through  an  open  door  into  the  garden.  The  air 
v/as  surcharged  with  electricity.  Flashes  of  forked 
lightning  shot  in  all  directions,  giving  the  sky  the  sem- 
blance of  a  burning  furnace,  while  the  deafening 
crashes  and  roar  of  thunder  made  the  very  earth  quiver. 
The  Porphyry  Palace  was  wrecked.  Its  shattered  and 
tottering  walls  were  falling  and  great  tongues  of  flame 
already  leaped  from  the  ruins. 

"I  was  so  impressed  by  the  reality  of  the  scene  that 
for  the  moment  I  was  carried  back  to  ]\Iulto  and  felt 
that  I  was  actually  going  through  it.  I  sought  the 
gate.  There  I  found  a  portion  of  the  guests  rushing 
cut. 


32  D'MARS  AFEINITY. 

"  'It  seems  that  Jonas  was  right,  after  all/  I  re- 
marked to  Prof.  Cackle,  whom  I  met  at  the  gate. 

"Not  by  a  d d   sight !     It  is  nothing  but  an 

earthquake,'  he  replied  as  he  hailed  a  passing  hack. 

"  'I  will  pay  you  $i,ooo  to  take  me  out  of  this  city,' 
said  Prof.  Cackle  to  the  driver. 

"  'Not  enough;  $5,000  is  the  price.' 

"  'I  will  give  you  a  check  for  $10,000.  I  have  not 
the  currency  with  me,'  I  said. 

"  'I  know  your  check  is  good,  Mr.  D'Mars,  but 
nothing  except  the  "yellow  stufif"  or  the  "long  green" 
goes  tonight,'  replied  the  driver  as  he  whipped  up  his 
horses. 

"The  earth  was  now  heaving  in  the  throes  of  con- 
vulsion. Fire  flashed  up  through  crevices  in  the  ground. 
The  odor  of  poisonous  gas  rendered  the  air  stifling. 
I  looked  toward  the  business  center,  hoping  that  in 
some  of  the  great  steel  structures  I  might  find  safety. 
They  were  falling  amid  waves  of  fire.  Myriads  of 
crazed  humanity  rushed  frantically  through  the  streets. 
Vivid  shafts  of  lightning  tore  down  whole  blocks. 

"The  heavens  above  resembled  a  superheated  fur- 
nace, while  the  roar  of  thunder  was  deafening.  I  made 
my  way  through  the  mass  of  hum.anity  to  the  comer, 
where  I  could  see  the  temple.  The  sight  was  appalling. 
The  roof  had  fallen  in.  Portions  of  the  wall  still 
stood.  I  thought  of  the  ten  victims  who  had  perished 
there  only  two  hours  since,  and  the  thousands  who  ap- 
plauded the  murder  and  the  sermon  of  the  high  priest. 

"The  streets  were  a  seething  mass  of  people.  The 
hundreds  of  dance  halls  and  ball  rooms  had  poured 
out  into  the  streets  a  strange  conglomeration  of  fren- 
zied humanity.  Men,  women  and  children  clad  in 
masks  and  all  the  grotesque  paraphernalia  of  the  stage, 
crying,  shouting  and  cursing,  mingled  and  mixed.     The 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  33 

heat  was  becoming  intense.  Many  had  already  suc- 
cumbed to  it  and  fallen  unconscious  in  the  streets,  only 
to  be  trampled  underfoot. 

"My  mind  was  in  an  indescribable  state  of  bewilder- 
ment. Past,  present  and  future  was  to  me  an  inextrica- 
ble jumble.  I  knew  that  I  was  D'Mars  and  a  sort  of 
sub-consciousness  told  me  that  I  was  some  one  else. 
What  is  to  be  the  end  of  this  wild,  weird  phantasma- 
goria? I  asked  myself.  The  answer  came  quickly.  A 
terrific  flash  of  lightning  and  an  instantaneous  thun- 
derbolt were  followed  by  a  dreadful  upheaval  that  op- 
ened the  earth's  ponderous  jaws  to  such  an  extent  that 
the  palace,  temple  and  business  center,  all,  were  swal- 
lowed down  into  a  yawning  abyss  of  fire.  I  went  down 
in  the  destruction.  I  felt  myself  shrivel  up  like  a  fly 
in  a  furnace.  Then  I  was  engulfed  in  cold  water.  It 
seemed  that  the  ocean  was  pouring  its  torrents  of  water 
upon  me. 

"I  turned  away  from  the  glass  in  horror  as  I  re- 
marked to  Ariel  that  I  could  stand  no  more  of  it. 

"He  smiled  as  he  replied,  'The  scenes  you  have  just 
beheld  occurred  45,000  years  ago.  You  would  better 
see  it  through.     It  will  be  a  valuable  lesson  to  you.' 

"I  again  looked  at  the  stereoscope.  I  was  floating 
over  a  burning  city  and  by  my  side  was  Jonas. 

"  'How  extensive  is  the  fire  ?'  I  inquired  of  Jonas. 

"  'All  Pluto  is  destroyed.  It  is  now  sinking  and 
soon  an  ocean  waste  with  a  few  islands  will  mark  the 
spot.  There  it  will  remain,  thousands  of  years,  until 
some  other  continent  is  submerged,  when  it  will  arise, 
and  after  centuries  it  will  again  be  peopled.  A  vast 
continent  is  now  emerging  from  the  ocean  in  the  East.' 

"  'What  will  become  of  us  ?'  I  inquired. 

"  'My  mission  is  complete  here  for  the  present.  I 
shall  return  to  paradise.     You  must  remain  on  this 


34  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

planet  and  suffer  until  you  seek  the  real  Light — Truth 
— Love — Right  mind.  When  you  seek  it  sincerely  you 
will  find  it ;  then  and  then  only  you  will  be  happy.  You 
must  first  find  Ethel,  your  better  half,  your  affinity. 
She  has  made  many  efforts  to  save  you,  but  the  rebel- 
lious spirit  in  you  was  too  strong.  You  must  conquer 
and  cast  him  out,'  said  Jonas,  and  he  instantly  disap- 
peared. 

"I  was  still  floating  in  air  over  a  burning  world. 
Gradually  a  dense  vapor  arose,  the  flames  gave  way  to 
dark  clouds.  Pluto  had  sunk  and  the  in-rushing  waters 
from  the  surrounding  ocean  had  extinguished  the 
flames.  I  knew  that  Pluto  was  now  an  ocean.  On  I 
sped  overy  the  watery  waste.  At  last  I  sank  in  the 
water.  All  was  darkness.  Down — down — down  I 
went ;  miles  of  water  seemed  to  roll  over  me.  I  became 
unconscious.     I  was  drowned. 

"The  retrospective  panorama  was  still  unfolding. 
Ages  on  ages  were  passing  away.  I  was  passing  with 
them  through  numberless  mortal  existences.  All  was 
trouble  and  worry — a  prolonged  night  of  barbarism. 
At  times  I  could  see  Ethel  in  the  distance.  She  was 
radiant  in  beauty,  yet  gazed  upon  me  sadly.  Between 
us  was  an  impassable  gulf. 

"At  last,  I  saw  myslf  in  what  seemed  to  be  a  New 
World.  In  response  to  my  inquiry,  Ariel  informed  me 
that  I  was  still  in  Erebus,  but  that  I  had  been  spared 
the  sight  of  many  centuries  of  very  wicked  physical 
existences  through  which  I  had  passed,  as  there  was 
no  desire  to  inflict  upon  me  unnecessary  humiliation. 

"I  noticed  considerable  improvement  In  the  civiliza- 
tion of  the  masses.  They  were  still  ruled  by  kings  and 
nobles,  and  a  vast  majority  still  worshiped  material 
idols.  A  small  nation  known  as  the  Liganites,  were 
under  the   influence  of  the   prophets   and   worshiped 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  35 

the  unseen  God  of  the  Universe.  But  so  powerful  was 
the  tendency  to  materialism  that  even  these  more  en- 
lightened people  fell  into  idol  worship  from  time  to 
time. 

"Considerable  progress,  however,  had  been  made 
in  idolatry.  The  people  were  more  intelhgent  and  the 
priests  of  idolatry  found  it  necessary  to  adapt  the  gods 
to  the  humor  of  the  masses.  The  gods  were  still  en- 
dowed with  the  passions  and  vices  of  the  kings  and 
nobles.  They  still  showered  their  favors  on  the  fav- 
ored few,  and  inflicted  dire  vengeance  upon  unbelievers. 
Their  number  had  materially  increased,  and  their  ra- 
pacity for  wine,  corn  and  mutton  had  grown  with  their 
numerical  increase.  There  were  gods  of  war,  peace, 
health,  crops,  commerce,  flocks,  etc.,  etc.  The  grand- 
eur of  the  temples  and  number  and  cost  of  the  sacred 
vessels  and  the  robes  and  trappings  of  the  priests,  and 
the  extent  and  solemnity  of  the  ceremonials,  had  also 
increased  with  the  material  wealth  of  the  kings  and 
nobles  and  captains  of  industr}-,  while  the  poverty  of 
the  toilers  also  increased.  But  the  poor  were  the  most 
devout  worshipers.  They  would  carry  their  last 
lamb,  and  measure  of  corn  or  wine,  to  the  temple,  to  be 
devoured  by  the  idols  in  order  that  they  might  be  happy 
and  escape  eternal  punishment  after  death.  So  persist- 
ent were  the  idolators  of  these  olden  times,  in  their  ad- 
miration of  gods  endowed  with  passions,  and  ceremon- 
ials and  richly  robed  priests,  and  costly  temples,  that  the 
Liganites  endowed  the  true  God  with  similar  attributes 
and  also  indulged  in  fine  temples,  elaborate  ceremonials, 
and  arrayed  their  priests  in  similar  robes.  This  dispo- 
sition of  the  Liganite  kings  and  princes  to  indulge 
wealth  and  luxury  at  the  expense  of  the  toilers  and  to 
the  detriment  of  Godlike  religion  and  morals,  was 
soundly  condemned  by  the  prophets.    But  the  prophets 


36  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

were  considered  old  fossils  who  were  far  behind  the 
progress  of  the  times,  and  but  little  heed  was  given  to 
their  warnings. 

"The  prophets  were  most  emphatic  in  their  condem- 
nation of  land  monopoly.  They  insisted  that  the  Lig- 
anite  kings  and  nobles  and  capitalists  had  no  right  to 
monopolize  God's  free  gifts  to  all  the  people.  They  in- 
sisted that  the  land  should  be  free  to  all  and  that  to 
compel  the  toilers  to  pay  them  rent  for  the  means  of 
existence,  was  displeasing  to  the  one  and  only  true 
God.  The  oppressed  toilers  stood  by  the  prophets  on 
this  proposition  and  at  one  period  of  history  the  kings 
were  compelled  to  proclaim  each  fiftieth  year  as  a  year 
of  jubilee,  when  the  land  that  had  been  taken  from  the 
people  by  extortioners  and  usurers,  should  be  returned 
to  its  rightful  owners.  This  system  worked  well  for 
many  ages,  but  the  people,  ever  negligent  of  their  nat- 
ural rights,  let  this  law  fall  into  disuse. 

"After  seeing  myself  pass  through  ages  on  ages  of 
suffering  and  degradation,  I  inquired  of  Ariel  why 
even  the  masses  of  toilers,  the  chief  sufferers,  could  not 
be  induced  to  rise  up  in  their  might  and  proclaim  the 
right  of  all  to  equal  opportunity. 

"  'They  have  not  yet  paid  the  penalty  of  sin.  They 
are  stubborn.  The  rebellious  spirit  is  still  strong  in 
them.  You  hear  their  answer  to  the  prophets :  "If 
your  unseen  God  is  real  and  all  powerful,  let  Him 
prove  it  to  us  by  a  miracle.  Let  Him  send  us  a  sign 
from  heaven." 

"  'Poor  miserable  creatures.  They  rebelled  of  their 
own  free  will.  They  brought  all  these  miseries  upon 
themselves  by  their  own  free  acts.  They  still  have  the 
power  of  free  choice.  When  they  choose  to  return  to 
happiness,  the  way  will  be  opened  to  them.  Only  think 
of  their  conceit,  pride  and  self  importance ;  challenging 


D'MABiS  AFFINITY.  37 

the  Creator  of  the  universe,  the  sovereign  Ruler  of  all 
the  worldSj  to  favor  them  v^ith  proof  of  His  power — a 
miracle  forsooth.  They  will  learn  that  God  can  get 
along  without  them  much  longer  than  they  can  get  on 
without  Him,' 

"  'Is  the  way  not  open  for  them  to  reach  eternal  hap- 
piness?' I  inquired. 

"  'No.  Erebus  is  still  disconnected  from  the  im- 
mortal worlds.  They  cannot  now  visit  the  happy 
worlds  as  they  did  prior  to  their  rebellion.  But  they 
have  the  light.  It  is  not  cut  off.  Nature  performs  all 
its  functions  as  far  as  evil  mind  will  permit.  There 
is  absolutely  nothing  to  hinder  these  fallen  people 
reaching  a  high  degree  of  perfection  and  happiness 
without  personal  intercourse  with  the  immortal  worlds. 
But  they  are  stubborn.  You  have  seen  how  they  treat- 
ed the  prophets  whom  God  sent  to  lead  them  into  the 
ways  of  justice,  peace  and  happiness,' 


38  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Passing  of  the  Ages. 

"As  we  conversed,  the  retrospective  panorama 
passed  on,  and  ages  on  ages  rolled  by.  So  highly  inter- 
esting was  the  scene,  that  I  scarcely  took  any  notice  of 
myself,  amid  the  masses  of  struggling  humanity. 
Earthquakes  and  floods ;  warfare  and  famine ;  the  cap- 
tivity of  the  Lyiganites,  the  destruction  of  Pablon,  the 
building  of  Wiseman's  Temple ;  all  passed  before  me  in 
chronological  order. 

"  'You  will  soon  see  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  and 
the  restoration  of  communication  between  Erebus  and 
the  immortal  worlds,'  said  Ariel. 

"I  looked  with  awe  upon  those  wonderful  and  im- 
pressive scenes.  The  connection  of  Erebus  with  the 
immortal  worlds  was  heralded  by  a  shaft  of  light  upon 
whose  brilliant  rays  came  the  singing  of  angels.  I 
heard  the  harmony,  and  saw  them  surround  the  infant 
Messiah.  The  infant  lay  smiling  upon  a  horse  blanket 
in  a  stable.  He  was  free  from  mortal  mind  and  fear. 
So  instead  of  crying,  He  smiled.  His  parents  had  vis- 
ited the  city  that  day  in  response  to  a  call  by  the  gov- 
ernment. All  the  hotels  were  crowded  by  wealthy 
people  who  could  pay  well  for  the  best  accommodations. 
Many  were  there  who  had  suddenly  grown  rich  by  or- 
ganizing trusts  or  gambling  in  stocks.  Their  wives 
and  daughters,  and  servants  had  secured  all  the  best 
rooms  in  the  hotels.  The  Society  rejx)rters  were  so 
busy  securing  the  names  of  prominent  people,  that  they 
had  not  the  time  to  give  a  two-line  notice  to  the  birth 
of  the  Messiah  and  the  redemption  of  Erebus.  The 
happy  mother  secured  some  old  baby  clothes  from  some 


D'MAIiS  AFFINITY.  39 

of  the  poor  people  who  resided  near  the  stable,  in  which 
slie  wrapped  the  Infant  and  returned  with  Him  to  her 
humhle  home  among  the  mountains. 

"The  most  interesting  part  is  yet  to  be  unfolded. 

"For  thirty  years  the  Messiah  dwelt  in  His  rural 
home  and  ate  bread  in  the  sweat  of  His  face.  He  had 
no  advantages  of  a  college  education.  He  did  not  need 
it.  He  had  the  book  of  nature,  and  He  knew  it  by 
heart.  He  beheld  injustice,  greed,  pride,  envy,  selfish- 
ness, sin  and  suffering,  on  all  sides.  He  knew  that 
Erebus  was  groaning  under  the  self-imposed  burden  of 
erroneous  mind.  To  remove  this  burden  from  the 
back  of  suffering  humanity,  was  His  mission.  He 
taught  people  to  love  and  forgive  one  another,  and  He 
began  by  loving  and  forgiving  all  Himself.  He  dem- 
onstrated the  power  of  Divine  mind- — spirit  over  mat- 
ter— to  such  a  wonderful  degree  that  His  friends  mar- 
veled. But  He  never  laid  claim  to  the  performances  of 
miracles,  for  when  His  disciples  marveled,  He  said, 
'These  things  shall  ye  do,  and  even  greater,  in  my 
name.' 

"The  wealthy  classes,  including  the  high  priests, 
kings,  nobles,  capitalists,  lawyers,  and  doctors,  scouted 
the  idea  that  the  Messiah  should  come  in  the  lowly 
garb  of  a  poor  mechanic.  They  looked  for  a  Messiah  in 
accordance  with  the  prophecy  of  old,  but  they  expected 
a  temporal  king,  who  would  lead  forth  armies  against 
the  pagan  unbelievers,  conquer  them,  destroy  their  idols 
and  make  them  (the  Liganites)  the  rulers  of  Erebus. 
They  expected  Him  to  be  born  in  the  ranks  of  royalty, 
to  be  of  royal  blood,  and  that  when  He  commenced  his 
mission  he  would  consult  them.  Every  fibre  of  their 
aristocratic  nature  rebelled  against  the  idea  of  such  a 
king  being  born  of  poor  parents  and  in  a  stable,  and 
having  actually  supported  Himself  and  parents  by 
working  at  a  menial  trade.     Such  a  person  could  not 


40  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

be  the  expected  Messiah.  He  must  be  an  impostor. 
But  they  became  alarmed  over  His  growing  popularity 
with  the  masses.  He  was  actually  healing  the  sick 
without  a  certificate  from  the  doctors'  association,  and 
without  medicine.  And  He  assured  His  followers  that 
they  should  do  likewise.  What  would  become  of  the 
doctors  and  druggists,  if  this  sort  of  thing  were  per- 
mitted ? 

"In  this  emergency,  the  'better  classes'  began  to 
plot  His  destruction,  by  working  up  sentiment  against 
Him  among  the  politicians.  A  campaign  committee 
was  organized.  It  was  made  up  of  ward  workers  and 
partisan  grafters  who  had  influence  with  the  mob.  The 
'better  classes'  took  no  active  part  in  the  campaigning ; 
but  they  sent  checks  to  the  committee  to  defray  the  ex- 
penses. 

"The  Messiah  was  undisturbed.  He  kept  right  on 
healing  the  sick  and  denouncing  the  usurers,  lawyers 
and  Pharisees  whom  he  designated  as  hypocrites, 

"A  rich  young  man  who  had  inherited  vast  estates, 
and  probably  never  earned  a  dollar  in  his  life,  came  to 
Him  one  day  and  asked  what  he  should  do  to  inherit 
eternal  happiness. 

"The  Messiah  recited  to  him  the  Commandments. 

"  'These,'  he  said,  'I  have  kept  all  my  life,'  and  he 
meant  it,  for  he  was  a  nice  young  man  and  had  a  front 
pew  in  a  fashionable  temple,  and  he,  no  doubt,  per- 
formed the  usual  duty  of  contributing  to  the  church 
and  its  charities. 

"  'Then,'  said  the  Messiah,  'if  thou  wouldst  be  per- 
fect, sell  all  thou  hast  and  give  it  to  the  poor  and  follow 
Me.' 

"The  rich  young  man  thought  of  'What  will  they 
say  ?'  should  he  follow  this  advice ;  and  he  walked  away 
in  sorrow. 


B'MABS  AFFINITY  41 

"I  noticed  that  same  young  man  in  his  next  mortal 
existence  trying  to  make  a  living  raising  figs  on  a  half- 
acre  of  ground  that  stood  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  de- 
grees, while  one  of  his  former  tenants  occupied  his  pal- 
ace and  mortgaged  it  to  raise  money  to  run  a  minstrel 
show. 

"One  day  He  went  into  the  temple  to  pray  to  the 
Father  of  all,  and  passing  one  of  the  numerous  vesti- 
bules, he  saw  a  pool  board,  a  'ticker,'  and  a  number  of 
well  dressed  men  buying  and  selling  'puts'  and  'calls' ; 
gambling  in  'futures'  on  stocks,  wheat  and  com.  This 
was  the  only  time  in  His  life  that  He  seemed  to  have 
lost  His  patience,  for  He  drove  the  gamblers  out  into 
the  street. 

"These  men  of  affairs  were  highly  indignant  over 
such  treatment.  So  they  denounced  Him  as  an  anar- 
chist, as  well  as  a  general  disturber.  The  mob  now 
howled  against  Him.  The  result  was,  that  He  was 
arrested  and  condemned  to  crucifixion,  the  most  igno- 
minious death  known.  It  was  believed  that  this  would 
entirely  disrupt  His  followers.  It  did  to  a  great  extent. 
But  a  few  of  His  followers  took  up  His  work,  and  His 
gospel  spread  far  and  wide. 

"His  disciples  and  apostles  immediately  set  out  to 
preach  the  new  gospel  of  redemption.  They  preached 
the  fatherhood  of  God,  and  the  brotherhood  of  man. 
They  advocated  free  and  equal  opportunity  for  all,  con- 
demned war  and  plunder,  idleness  and  luxury,  false- 
hood and  sensuality.  These  doctrines  were  quite  popu- 
lar with  the  masses,  but  unpopular  with  the  wealthy 
few.  So  His  apostles  and  sincere  followers  were  put  to 
death  as  disturbers  and  anarchists. 

"The  wealthy  classes,  including  kings  and  nobles, 
were  willing  to  accept  the  gospel  of  the  Messiah  with  a 
few  modifications  in  the  way  of  interpretation  and  con- 
struction. 


42  D'MARS  AFFINITY 

"The  kings  and  nobles  who  owned  almost  every- 
thing and  charged  the  toilers  an  enormous  rental  for  the 
use  of  it,  wanted  a  m-odification  of  the  doctrine  of  free 
and  equal  opportunity. 

"Again,  the  Alessiah  had  said  that  it  was  as  hard 
for  a  rich  man  to  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  as  for 
a  camel  to  pass  through  the  eye  of  a  needle.  This  was 
a  hard  sentence  against  the  usurers,  trust  magnates 
and  landlords.  They  wanted  this  sentence  so  inter- 
preted that  they  could  enter  heaven.  An  ecclesiastical 
council  took  this  matter  up.  The  language  of  the  Mes- 
siah was  too  plain  and  simple  to  admit  of  any  construc- 
tion that  would  change  its  plain  meaning ;  so  they  sol- 
emnly declared  that  nothing  was  impossible  to  God, 
therefore,  a  rich  man  could  enter  heaven,  if  he  was  a 
good  man  and  a  large  contributor  to  the  church.  And 
this  liberal  construction  was  improved  later  on  by  wise 
men,  who  discovered  that  in  the  original  Hebraic 
tongue,  a  needle's  eye  meant  a  narrow  gate.  Of  course 
a  camel  could,  with  some  difficulty,  pass  through  a  nar- 
row gate,  and  thus  the  impossibility  was  removed  and 
rich  men  were  made  happy. 

"As  the  ages  came  and  passed,  the  new  gospel  of 
human  rights  and  equality  of  opportunity  made  serious 
inroads  on  idolatrous  barbarism.  The  common  people 
flocked  to  the  new  social  standard.  When  kings  and 
princes  and  nobles  saw  the  hold  it  had  taken  on  their 
subjects,  they,  too,  adopted  it  with  some  further  modi- 
fications. They  could  not,  of  course,  surrender  their 
landed  estates  to  the  peasantry  and  thus  give  up  their 
princely  and  luxurious  incomes. 

"In  this  emergency,  the  wise  men  made  a  thorough 
examination  of  the  gospel,  and  decided  that  the  parables 
in  which  the  Messiah  spoke  of  rich  lords  and  of  the 
manor  and  masters  and  servants,  were  really  commen- 
dations of  landlordism  and  monopoly  of  the  means  of 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  43 

existence ;  while  His  denunciations  of  wealth  and  usury 
were  a  sort  of  Eastern  Metaphor  that  did  not  apply  to 
this  progressive  age.  But  rich  monopolists  were  re- 
minded that  they  must  be  just  and  charitable;  that  they 
were  merely  stewards  of  the  Almighty  for  the  dispers- 
ing of  His  gifts  ;  and  that  they  would  be  held  to  a  strict 
accountability  after  death,  for  the  use  they  made  of  the 
special  favors  conferred  upon  them. 

"Kings,  princes  and  nobles  now  flocked  to  the  stand- 
ard of  Christianity.  Their  subjects,  the  toilers,  still 
struggled  along  and  paid  these  rich  monopolists  for 
opportunity  to  toil.  But  in  behalf  of  authentic  history, 
it  miist  be  said  that  for  a  time,  these  favored  devotees 
of  wealth  and  luxury,  did  treat  their  toiling  subjects 
more  humanely.  They  evidently  were  sincere  in  their 
belief,  that  as  favorites  of  the  bountiful  Father  of  all, 
they  did  owe  some  duties  to  the  less  favored  children  of 
the  same  Father. 

"But  as  the  retrospective  stereoscope  unfolded  the 
panorama  of  life,  and  brought  me  down  to  more  recent 
ages,  I  discovered  that  pride  and  greed  for  power  and 
mortal  glory  and  flattery  modified  the  policy  of  these 
converted  rulers.  Vast  accumulations  of  material 
wealth,  called  for  still  more  wealth.  Wealth  conferred 
power,  and  power  evidenced  greatness.  Thus  wealth, 
and  not  moral  worth,  became  the  standard  of  greatness. 
With  wealth  came  luxury  and  gross  immorality. 
Thus,  wealth  became  an  idol.  The  vulgar  display 
and  luxurious  vices  of  the  parvenu  rich  were  imitated 
by  the  poor,  who  had  also  become  worshipers  at  the 
shrine  of  Mammon,  Thus  the  infection  spread  until 
the  chase  for  wealth  became  a  disease — a  veritable 
pestilence.  This  mad  race  after  money  was  intensi- 
fied by  the  fear  of  poverty.  The  injustice  that  denied 
man  free  and  equal  access  to  the  means  of  existence — 


44  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

free   opportunity   to   work — superinduced   selfishness, 
greed,  worry,  corruption  and  wide-spread  venality. 

"The  command,  'Thou  shalt  not  kill,'  was  early  set 
aside  by  the  converted  governments.  They  raised 
armies  and  conducted  campaigns  of  conquest  and 
plunder  under  the  plea  of  spreading  the  gospel  of 
Salvation.  Institutions  were  estabhshed  by  govern- 
ment for  the  training  of  men  in  the  art  of  killing. 
Nations  that  professed  the  gospel  of  'Peace  and  good 
will  among  men,'  not  only  fought  and  killed  unbeliev- 
ers, but  they  murdered  one  another.  Alleged  chap- 
lains of  the  Messiah  officiated  for  the  armies  on  both 
sides  and  in  prayer  invoked  Him  to  aid  them  in  their 
m.urderous  mission. 

"From  time  to  time,  apostles  arose,  as  the  prophets 
of  former  times  appeared,  and  called  the  people  back 
to  the  plain  principles  of  justice,  love  and  brotherhood, 
proclaimed  by  the  ]\Iessiah.  These  men  were  treated 
as  cranks  or  disturbers,  and  either  put  to  death,  or 
excommunicated  for  rebellion  against  authority.  And 
the  strange  thing  was,  that  the  martyrs  and  rebels  of 
one  century  were  generally  the  heroes  and  saints  of 
the  succeeding  centuries. 

"During  all  these  ages,  I  saw  myself  struggling 
with  the  masses.  Like  the  majority,  I  was  controlled 
by  erroneous  mind.  In  some  of  my  mortal  existences 
I  would  become  wealthy  and  powerful.  In  others  I 
would  be  an  humble  toiler.  I  had  occupied  almost 
every  conceivable  position.  Sometimes,  I  would  al- 
most reach  the  Spiritual  light.  But  my  material 
mind  was  still  strong.  The  fear,  worry,  selfishness 
and  hatred  that  enslaved  me  in  each  mortal  stage  in- 
fluenced me  in  the  next.  Thus  I  moved  onward — al- 
ternately scaling  the  peaks  of  human  passion  and  being 
plunged  down  to  drink  the  dregs  of  sin  and  suffering. 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  45 

I  became  so  disg-nsted  with  my  stupidity,  egotism  and 
folly,  that  I  despised  myself. 

"But  there  was  a  bright  side  to  this  doleful  picture 
of  woe.  In  each  age  I  could  discover  an  almost  imper- 
ceptible improvement  in  the  race.  Since  communica- 
tion had  been  resumed  by  the  Messiah,  between  Erebus 
and  the  higher  planets,  thousands  of  the  fallen  had 
availed  themselves  of  it  and  passed  on  to  Paradise. 
Myriads  of  happy  spirits,  called  angels,  visited  Erebus. 
They  exercised  a  powerful  influence  for  good.  They 
were  invisible  to  the  mortal  eye,  of  course,  and  worked 
by  suggestion.  Some  few  mortals  reached  a  state  of 
spirituality  that  enabled  them  to  see  and  converse  with 
these  good  messengers.  These  persons  were  ever 
surrounded  by  angels.  They  were  exceedingly  happy 
and  always  sought  to  make  others  happy.  When  they 
cast  off  the  mortal  body,  they  had  no  desire  to  return 
to  mortality.  They  visited  the  immortal  worlds  with 
the  angels,  and  often  returned  and  worked  with  the 
angels  to  reclaim  the  fallen.  They  stood  by  the  fallen 
and  gave  them  inspiration  in  thoughts  and  dreams. 
In  dreams  they  warned  them  of  evil  to  come  and  sug- 
gested ways  and  means  to  avoid  it. 

"Among  those  reclaimed  spirits  whose  beatified 
bodies  shone  with  the  splendor  of  the  sun,  one  had 
attracted  my  special  attention.  It  was  a  woman,  radi- 
ant in  beauty,  yet  pensive  and  sad.  I  noticed  that  she 
was  ever  at  work,  and  on  many  occasions  tried  to  give 
to  me  inspirations  in  that  far  away  age ;  all  of  which, 
in  my  folly  and  blindness,  I  ignored. 

'That  beautiful  maiden,'  said  Ariel  in  response 
to  my  query,  'is  Ethel,  your  affinity.  She  is  endeav- 
oring to  save  you.  Without  you,  she  can  never  be 
happy,  even  in  Paradise,  and  you  will  never  know  hap- 
piness until  you  are  again  united  with  her.' 


46  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"  'Where  is  she  now  ?'  I  inquired,  with  such  intense 
interest  that  even  Ariel  was  startled. 

"  'She  is  now  somewhere  in  mortality  looking  and 
waiting  for  you.' 

"  'Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  Ethel  has  abandoned 
the  certainty  of  Paradise  for  the  fears,  worry  and  suf- 
fering incident  to  mortality,  out  of  love  for  me?' 

"  'She  has  done  this  many  times,  and  as  I  tell  you, 
she  is  now  on  the  mortal  plane  seeking  you.' 

"  'That  is  to  me  a  new  phase  of  woman's  love.' 

"  'In  your  present  gross  mortality,  such  love  may 
seem  strange,  but  during  your  long  career  of  sin,  you 
have  evidently  forgotten  much  of  real  spiritual  wom- 
an's love.  Woman  is  the  most  complex  of  all  created 
beings,  and  whether  nearer  to  or  farther  from  God, 
she  is  still  the  truest  interpreter  of  the  Divine  ideal. 
She  scales  mountain  peaks  in  search  of  a  joy  and  flings 
herself  into  the  deepest  abyss  of  sin  and  misery  for 
the  ideal  she  loves.  She  searches  the  desolate  places 
for  a  kindred  sorrow,  and  reads  the  stars  for  sym- 
pathy. She  dies  when  her  first  ideal  vanishes,  and  like 
a  ghost  haunts  the  wreck  during  the  remainder  of  her 
allotted  span  of  mortality.' 

"  'Ethel  is  in  mortality  now  ?' 

"  'She  is.' 

"  'But  I  am  dead.' 

"  'No,  you  are  not  dead.  The  body  from  Wliich 
you  recently  departed,  only,  is  dead,  just  as  your 
numerous  other  bodies  have  passed  away.' 

'Can  I  return  to  that  body  which  I  so  recently 
abandoned  ?' 

"  'That  depends.  Should  Ethel  visit  you  in  spiri,:, 
she  can  restore  you  to  your  abandoned  body.  We 
shall  see.  Meantime  you  shall  complete  the  retrospect 
of  your  past.' 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  41 


CHAPTER  VII. 

In  Centropolis. 

"Ariel  was  inexorable.  I  must  see  my  past  follies 
to  the  end.  Again  turning  my  gaze  upon  the  relentless 
mirror  of  the  past  I  saw  my  ancient  self  in  a  vast  city 
or  wonderful  splendor. 

"I  became  so  intensely  absorbed  in  this  vast  city, 
that  for  the  time  being,  I  lost  my  ide'ntity  at  the  stereos- 
cope and  became  my  former  self  in  Centropolis. 

"Erebus  at  that  time  had  a  population  of  about  two 
billion  five  hundred  millions,  and  was  ruled  by  five 
'Great  Powers,'  known  as  Tom,  Dick,  Harry,  Bill  and 
Nick.  There  were  also  a  score  or  so  of  second-class 
governments  and  many  still  smaller.  They  all  main- 
tained armies,  the  five  Great  Powers  leading  off  with 
about  five  million  soldiers. 

"Centropolis  was  the  Capital  of  Tom.  It  was  a 
magnificent  city,  not  so  large  or  wealthy  as  IMulto, 
but  in  commerce,  industry,  display  of  wealth  and  dis- 
parity between  the  rich  and  the  poor,  it  differed  very 
little  from  Multo. 

"While  the  more  highly  skilled  toilers  were  nearly 
all  organized  they  were  not  much  better  off  than  the 
unskilled  laborer.  The  great  majority  lived  up  to 
their  wages,  and  if  thrown  out  of  work  they  were 
about  as  near  to  want  as  the  common  laborer  and 
suffered  worse.  The  employer  was  not  much  better 
off.  He  usually  worked  on  borrowed  money.  He 
had  to  pay  interest  on  his  capital  and  wages  to  his  em- 
ployees. 

"Away  above  both  business  and  labor  stood  the 
great  captains  of  industry — the  so-called  capitalists 
backed  up  by  the  bankers.  They  enjoyed  special 
privileges  from  the  government — indeed  they  were  the 


48  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

government,  for  no  man,  who  stood  for  the  interests  of 
the  whole  people  and  opposed  special  privileges  for  the 
favored  few,  could  be  elected  to  any  important  office, 
except  in  isolated  cases. 

"The  monopolists,  for  it  is  a  misuse  of  the  term  to 
call  them  capitalists,  were  large  owners  and  controllers 
of  the  means  of  existence.  They  furthermore  owned 
and  controlled  valuable  railway  and  other  franchises. 
They  also  regulated  the  price  which  the  farmer  re- 
ceived for  his  products  and  the  tolls  he  must  pay  to  get 
them  hauled  to  market.  By  these  means  they  were 
the  lords  and  masters  of  the  farmers  who  especially 
boasted  of  their  freedom.  I  noticed  one  of  these  cap- 
tains of  industry  who,  within  a  mortal  lifetime,  ac- 
cumulated one  thousand  million  dollars — he  did  not 
produce  it  by  his  labor  of  hand  or  brain — just  trans- 
ferred it  from  the  pockets  of  the  producers  to  his 
coffers.  There  were  scores  of  others  almost  equal  to 
him  in  wealth,  and  millionaires  by  the  hundreds.  And 
while  this  man  of  whom  I  speak  had  accumulated  in 
thirty-five  years  the  full  earnings  of  a  laborer  for 
three  hundred  thousand  years,  the  great  masses  of 
toilers  were  not  thirty  days  from  starvation,  were  they 
thrown  out  of  employment. 

"You  gentlemen  may  wonder  how  ten  per  cent,  of 
the  inhabitants  who  produced  nothing  could  appropri- 
ate seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the  fruits  of  toil  by  means 
of  special  government  privileges,  in  a  land  where  the 
toilers  control  eighty  per  cent,  of  the  votes.  But  it 
was  just  as  easy  as  rolling  off  a  log.  Of  course  it  re- 
quired political  sagacity  and  unscrupulous  methods. 
The  favored  few  divided  themselves  into  two  domi- 
nant parties,  known  as  the  hobos  and  the  dodos.  The 
great  rank  and  file  of  the  producers  divided  about 
equally  in  their  allegiance  to  these  parties  and  voted 
against  one  another  on  election  day. 

"Some   months   prior   to    important   elections   the 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  49 

leaders  of  the  hobos  and  the  dodos  would  set  up  cer- 
tain issues  which  meant  nothing  for  the  producers. 
They  would  then  come  out  in  the  campaign  and  de- 
nounce one  another  in  unmeasured  terms,  each  claim- 
ing that  he  was  the  friend  of  the  toiler  and  the  op- 
posing party  was  the  enemy.  The  toilers  would  go 
crazy  over  these  bogus  issues  and  fight  each  other  to  a 
finish  on  election  day. 

"While  the  toilers  were  engaged  in  this  sanguinary 
strife,  the  representatives  of  wealth  and  special  privi- 
lege would  get  together  privately  and  throw  their  bal- 
ance of  power  to  the  candidate  who  could  be  relied 
on  to  serve  their  interests  most  faithfully.  By  this 
trick  the  voting  power  of  the  masses  was  so  neutralized 
that  it  amounted  to  nothing. 

"The  wealthier  classes,  especially  the  beneficiaries 
of  special  privileges,  and  the  officials  promulgated  the 
fallacious  idea  that  government  was  the  source  of  all 
prosperity.  The  minority  party,  which  was  usually 
the  hobos,  held  to  the  same  doctrine,  but  insisted  that 
the  dominant  party  should  also  be  held  responsible  for 
industrial  depressions,  panics,  flood,  drought  and  cy- 
clones. 

"The  dodos  ridiculed  such  claim  and  reminded  the 
people  that  some  of  the  most  destructive  floods  and 
fires  and  epidemics  visited  the  land  of  Tom  under  hobo 
rule.  They  also  explained  that  financial  depressions 
and  business  disturbances  appeared  only  when  the 
people  feared  hobo  victory.  Hon.  Max  Mergerton, 
the  acknowledged  generalissimo  of  both  divisions  of 
the  dodos,  was  so  firmly  convinced  that  the  gods 
frowned  upon  the  hobos,  that  he  warned  the  people  of 
the  calamities  that  would  surely  follow  hobo  ascend- 
ency. 

These  admonitions  from  Mergerton  had  much 
weight  with  the  business  public.  They  knew  that 
Mergerton  stood  very  high  with  the  gods  of  commerce 


60  B'MABS  AFFINITY. 

They  also  knew  that  many  leading  hobos  threatened  to 
cut  off  a  goodly  portion  of  the  gods'  rations  by  raising 
the  tariff  and  taxing  franchises.  Of  course  this  was 
only  talk  but  it  had  its  effect.  The  gods  were  not  in  the 
habit  of  taking  chances  even  on  a  bluff,  when  they  had 
a  sure  thing. 

"You,  my  neighbors,  in  this  age  of  intelligence, 
would  naturally  suppose  that  the  business  public  and 
the  laborers,  whose  interests  are  inseparably  bound  by 
invisible  chains  that  are  stronger  than  steel,  would  see 
through  this  game  and  get  together.  But  they  did 
not,  and  there  was  a  good  reason  for  this. 

"These  two  factors  of  progress  and  prosperity  had 
no  remedy  on  which  they  could  come  together.  They 
were  all  worshipers  at  the  shrine  of  wealth,  which 
had  become  the  national  idol.  The  business  public  be- 
lieved in  competition,  and  the  toiling  producers  believed 
in  the  wage  system. 

"Of  equal  rights  and  opportunities  they  knew  little 
and  cared  less.  Under  a  system  of  equal  opportunities 
— equal  access  to  the  natural  and  only  primary  means 
of  existence — no  one  could  suddenly  become  very 
wealthy  nor  need  anyone  be  very  poor.  Such  doctrine 
as  this  did  not  meet  the  views  of  the  ambitious  people 
of  Tom,  every  one  of  whom,  even  the  poorest,  expected 
to  some  day  become  a  millionaire,  at  least. 

"Industrial  co-operation  among  producers  and  con- 
sumers was  hooted  as  nonsense.  Few  had  any  confi- 
dence in  a  remedy  that  the  people  could  apply  inde- 
pendently of  government.  To  apply  remedies  based 
upon  morality,  integrity,  good  will  and  confidence  of 
men  in  one  another  would  require  the  abolition  of 
hatred,  prejudice  selfishness  and  greed. 

"To  inaugurate  such  remedies  as  the  people  could 
apply  themselves  would  shatter  the  national  idol — 
wealth  worship.  It  would  set  aside  national  tra- 
dition  and   custom  and   revolutionize  society.     Each 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  51 

would  be  obliged  to  concede  to  each  other  every  privi- 
lege that  he  desired  for  himself.  The  right  of  private 
individuals  to  own,  control  and  monopolize  the  means 
of  existence  and  tax  the  toilers  for  opportunity  to  live 
must  be  abolished.  The  right  of  private  individuals 
and  corporations  to  appropriate  the  unearned  increment 
of  wealth  produced  by  social  growth  must  also  be  abol- 
ished, and  this  vast  revenue  which  made  billionaires 
must  be  used  for  public  purposes. 

"Such  a  program  was  frequently  presented  by  the 
prophets,  but  it  was  so  successfully  combatted  by  the 
ignorant  and  the  privileged  classes  and  evaded  by  the 
hobo  and  dodo  politicians  that  no  headway  was  made. 

"The  worship  of  the  'Almighty  dollar'  had  secured 
such  a  firm  grip  upon  every  rank  and  grade  of  society 
that  to  advocate  primitive  Christianity,  as  taught  by 
the  Messiah,  was  considered  lunacy.  Wealth  and  the 
power  and  luxury  it  afforded  had  become  the  idea  and 
the  ideal  of  practically  all, 

"Hoboism  and  dodoism  had  become  the  political 
idols.  In  private  conversation  the  great  masses  of  busi- 
ness men  and  producers  condemned  hoboism  and  dodo- 
ism alike,  but  when  the  ballots  were  counted  it  was 
discovered  that  they  were  nearly  all  hobos  or  dodos. 

"The  wealthy  classes  manipulated  the  hobos,  for  the 
hobo  party  was  largely  made  up  of  the  toilers,  and  they 
were  considered  dangerous.  But  occasionally  the  do- 
dos permitted  the  hobos  to  get  control  of  the  govern- 
ment. They  knew  that  unless  the  hobo  party  had  an 
inning  now  and  then,  it  would  go  to  pieces  and  then 
the  people  might  get  together  and  win  out.  One  term 
of  hobo  government  to  three  terms  of  dodo  rule  was 
the  program  carried  out. 

"The  other  favorite  issue  presented,  when  the  people 
wearied  of  tariff,  was  the  currency  problem.  The  spe- 
cie, or  'real  money'  as  it  was  termed,  consisted  of  two 
sorts  of  pebbles.     One  was  white  and  the  other  yellow. 


52  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

These  pebbles  were  found  in  various  places,  usually  in 
mountainous  localities.  Their  value  was  based  upon 
the  cost  of  procuring  them,  one  yellow  pebble  costing 
about  as  much  labor  as  sixteen  white. 

"The  dodos,  representing  the  creditor  classes,  fav- 
ored scarce  money,  so  they  demanded  the  adoption  of 
the  yellow  pebbles  for  a  sole  standard  of  values.  The 
hobos  insisted  on  a  double  standard  of  values  on  a  basis 
of  sixteen  to  one  in  favor  of  the  yellow. 

"Some  of  the  issues  employed  by  the  privileged 
classes  and  their  politicians  to  keep  the  masses  of  hobos 
and  dodos  divided  were  decidedly  amusing.  Tariff 
and  currency  were  the  two  leading  issues.  All  agreed 
that  tariff  was  a  tax  and  that  all  taxation  in  its  final 
analysis  must  come  out  of  labor. 

"But  the  dodo  leaders  claimed  that  by  labelling  this 
tax  'protection'  they  could  compel  the  foreigners  to  pay 
it  and  thus  relieve  the  toilers  of  Tom  from  a  heavy 
burden.  This  idea  was  very  popular  with  the  unthink- 
ing dodos,  and  the  capitalistic  hobos  too. 

"On  the  other  hand  the  hobo  leaders  claimed  that 
the  protective  tariff  only  increased  the  price  of  the  com- 
modities it  affected  and  that  the  people  of  Tom  were 
compelled  to  pay  this  increase  and  that  it  further  en- 
couraged monopoly.  Both  agreed  that  the  chief  func- 
tion of  government  was  to  collect  and  eat  revenue. 
The  revenue  must  be  had.  But  the  hobos  claimed  that 
they  would  levy  a  tariff  for  'revenue  only'  and  that 
by  such  a  policy  monopoly  would  be  effectually  de- 
stroyed. For  ages  the  toilers  were  kept  divided  about 
equally  on  this  issue.  It  served  its  purpose  well,  for  it 
prevented  them  thinking  of  equal  opportunity. 

"The  workers  divided  on  this  issue  about  the  same 
as_on  the  tariff,  and  the  wealthy  classes  pooled  their 
issues  and  gave  victory  to  the  dodos  and  the  yellow 
standard. 

"Centropolis  was  a  city  of  enorm.ous  wealth.     Be- 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  53 

ing-  the  chief  seaport,  it  handled  a  vast  commerce,  and 
was  the  financial  center  for  Tom.  Their  imports  broke 
bulk  at  Centropolis  and  paid  tribute  to  jobbers  and 
brokers.  The  bulk  of  Tom's  exports,  too,  were  com- 
pelled to  pay  tribute  to  the  Centropolis  wharf  sharks. 
During  the  trading  seasons  thousands  of  inland  mer- 
chants crowded  its  hundreds  of  hotels.  All  leading 
mianufacturers  of  Tom  were  therefore  compelled  to 
keep  agents,  brokers  and  often  salesrooms  in  Cen- 
tropolis. 

"The  most  notable  institution  of  Centropolis  was 
the  Stock  Exchange.  Its  membership  was  made  up 
of  accomplished  gamblers,  including  trust  magnates, 
bankers,  promoters  and  brokers.  In  order  to  enjoy  its 
privileges  over  other  gambling  institutions,  members 
paid  for  a  seat  at  the  table  as  high  as  seventy-five 
thousand  dollars,  in  addition  to  annual  dues. 

"It  run  what  is  known  in  gambling  nomenclature 
a  'skin'  game.  In  playful  parlance  the  game  was 
termed  'shearing  the  lambs'.  The  lambs  were  the  gen- 
eral public,  while  the  inside  ring  of  this  gambling  insti- 
tution wielded  the  shears  and  took  the  wool.  But  the 
wealth  of  its  members  and  their  enormous  profits  gave 
the  institution  a  respectability  that  placed  it  above  the 
law-making  power. 

"Viewed  from  the  gallery,  the  floor,  known  as  the 
'pit,'  appears  like  a  bedlam  of  crazy  men.  They  rush 
about  frantically  while  perspiration  drops  from  their 
brows.  A  score  yell  at  one  time  at  the  highest  pitch 
they  can  command.  They  watch  the  bulletin  board 
and  as  the  name  of  some  unfortunate  who  has  failed  is 
posted,  members  consult  a  small  pass-book  which  they 
carry  in  their  pocket.  If  interested  in  the  failure  they 
rush  for  the  door  swearing  as  they  go.  Occasionally 
a  despairing  wretch  shoots  himself  in  the  pit.  The 
frenzied  gamblers  step  over  his  expiring  body  or  kick 
it  as  they  pass  until  it  is  removed  by  a  porter. 


64  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"This  enormous  structure  was  forty  stories  high 
and  covered  four  acres  of  ground.  It  contained  6,000 
offices,  occupied  by  brokers  and  lawyers.  And  it  was 
only  one  of  the  scores  of  skyscrapers  similarly  occupied. 
Millions  of  dollars  came  daily  to  these  sharks  for  in- 
vestment. 

"A  gentleman  remarked  one  day  that  he  would  put 
no  money  in  such  business ;  he  wanted  a  permanent  in- 
vestment. 

"  'I  know  of  no  investment  more  permanent,'  replied 
his  friend. 

"  'How  do  you  make  that  out  ?' 

"  'I  have  known  scores  of  people  to  put  money  in 
the  hands  of  those  fellows,  but  I  never  knew  one  to  get 
a  cent  out  again  ?  Do  you  want  anything  more  perma- 
nent than  that?' 

"The  Produce  Exchange  is  another  immense  gam- 
bling house.  In  all  that  enters  into  fleecing  the  public, 
it  is  a  running  mate  for  the  Stock  Exchange.  Its  mem- 
bers do  actually  buy  and  sell  some  produce.  But  the  bulk 
of  its  business  is  dealing  in  'futures'  on  'margins.' 
These  gamblers  fix  the  price  of  produce  arbitrarily  as 
easily  as  a  farmer  works  a  pump  handle.  They  give 
out  'bear'  and  'bull'  statistics  of  crops  to  convince  the 
'lambs'  that  their  operations  are  governed  by  supply 
and  demand,  and  the  'lambs'  credit  these  reports. 

"The  one  thing  that  the  people  of  Tom  boasted  of 
was  liberty.  Everyone  was  free.  The  founders  of 
Tom  were  men  who  had  suffered  under  the  cruel  heel 
of  oppression  in  the  older  nations,  so  when  they  drew 
up  their  declaration  of  independence,  they  declared  that 
all  men  are  created  free  and  equal,  and  endow;ed  by 
their  Creator  with  certain  inalienable  rights,  among 
which  are  life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness. 
They  abolished  all  laws  of  primogeniture,  which  se- 
cured vast  landed  estates  in  the  hands  of  rich  families, 
who  bore  titles  of  nobility,  even  against  the  just  debts 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  55 

of  profligate  ancestors.  The  people  of  Tom  also  pro- 
fessed an  abhorrence  of  kings  and  emperors  and  titled 
nobility  and  plutocracy.  For  many  years  Tom  made 
splendid  progress.  The  means  of  existence  was  free 
and  every  toiler  could  be  his  own  employer  if  he  so  de- 
sired. 

"But  as  time  rolled  on  Tom  began  to  accumulate 
surplus  wealth.  Shrewd  manipulators  and  usurers 
found  ways  and  means  of  appropriating  to  themselves 
a  portion  of  the  fruits  of  other  men's  toil.  As  these 
men  began  to  realize  the  undue  power  that  wealth  con- 
fers, they  began  to  put  on  airs,  grew  exclusive,  unso- 
ciable, autocratic  and  domineering.  Others  saw  the 
apparent  advantages  that  wealth  conferred  and  they 
sought  it  by  the  same  methods.  Thus  the  intense 
scramble  for  wealth  began.  Wealth  supplanted  moral 
worth  as  the  standard  of  greatness.  It  is  true,  that 
landed  estates  could  not  be  entailed  under  the  Consti- 
tution. This  wise  precaution  prevented  the  wealthy 
few  converting  the  whole  peasantry  into  rent-paying 
vassals,  but  greed  and  selfishness  found  another  way  of 
plundering  the  producers. 

"Artificial  persons,  known  as  'corporations  for 
profit,'  were  organized  under  state  charters.  These 
artificial  persons  were  endowed  with  perpetual  life. 
They  secured  franchises  to  do  many  things,  among 
which  were  the  construction  of  gas,  water,  and  power 
plants,  also  transportation  plants,  called  railways.  How 
to  get  the  most  money  out  of  the  public  and  give  in 
return  the  least  possible  service  was  the  daily 
and  nightly  study  of  these  corporations.  They 
very  well  knew  that  to  declare  enormous  dividends 
would  s-et  the  people  thinking.  In  this  emergency  they 
watered  the  stock  to  keep  dividends  down  on  the  sur- 
face. 

"It  required  considerable  ingenuity  to  rob  the  peo- 
ple and  at  the  same  time  make  them  believe  the  robber 


56  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

was  their  benefactor.  But  the  wise  railway  promoters 
of  Tom  were  equal  to  the  emergency.  Their  favorite 
scheme  of  railway  promotion  was  unique.  A  half 
dozen  enterprising,  penniless  promoters  would  set  out 
and  induce  the  farmers  and  villagers  to  furnish  right 
of  way  and  pay  money  for  stock  in  the  enterprise. 
They  would  then,  either  sell  the  right  of  way  or  put  it 
in  the  hands  of  a  construction  company  which  would 
construct  the  road  bed,  etc.,  and  put  down  ties  and  rails 
largely  on  promises.  The  property  was  then  mort- 
gaged for  money  to  pay  claims  and  furnish  rolling 
stock. 

"The  mortgage  was  soon  foreclosed  and  the  cred- 
itors would  buy  the  railway  equipment  for  a  song. 
The  company  would  then  reorganize  on  a  stock  basis 
of  four  or  five  times  the  cost  of  the  property.  They 
would  next  bond  it  for  double  its  value  and  get  the 
stock  for  nothing.  Service  rates  were  charged  that 
would  pay  about  five  per  cent,  on  all  this  watered  stock 
and  bonds,  or  about  thirty  per  cent,  on  the  real  invest- 
ment. As  the  business  increased  and  the  dividends 
grew  unseemly  large,  additional  water  would  be  poured 
into  the  stock  and  bonds  and  the  magnates  would  pock- 
et the  proceeds.  When  complaint  was  made  by  ship- 
pers, because  of  the  exorbitant  tariff  charged,  the 
magnates  would  point  to  the  small  dividend  that  the 
railway  paid  the  'poor'  stockholders,  'many  of  whom 
were  widows  and  orphans.' 

"As  wealth  accumulated  and  concentrated,  its  hold- 
ers looked  across  the  seas  with  longing  eyes  upon  the 
titles  of  nobility  worn  by  men  less  wealthy  than  they. 
They  built  spring,  summer,  autumn  and  winter  palaces 
which  they  decorated  in  regal  splendor.  While  they 
professed  abhorrence  of  kingly  rule,  they  feted,  dined 
and  wined  the  effete  scions  of  foreign  nobility  who 
came  over  to  Tom  to  secure  wealthy  wives  in  order  to 
replete  their  dissipated  fortunes.     The§e  daughters  of 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  57 

mammon  had  a  mania  for  marrying  titled  men — not 
husbands  in  the  true  sense,  for  under  the  laws  of  Dick, 
Harry,  Bill  and  Nick,  these  so-called  husbands  could 
maintain  as  many  other  women  as  they  pleased.  In 
many  cases  these  dissolute  scions  of  nobility  abused 
their  Tom  wives  most  shamefully,  yet  plenty  of  rich 
Tom  girls  were  crazy  for  a  similar  experience. 

"In  the  higher  social  circles,  love  had  become  a  by- 
word and  marriage  a  farce.  A  husband  was  supposed 
to  be  a  convenience  in  the  maintenance  of  an  establish- 
ment, and  the  display  of  mercenary  fashion.  If  he 
furnished  the  money  and  kept  his  intrigues  out  of  the 
newspapers,  no  questions  were  asked.  And  the  wife 
was  regarded  in  the  same  light  by  the  husband. 

"Among  the  more  exalted  of  the  select  set,  children 
were  considered  a  nuisance  and  finally  the  industry  be- 
came a  lost  art.  In  one  ultra  fashionable  church  of 
875  members,  there  was  an  average  of  fourteen  divorces 
and  seven  baptisms  annually.  Society  women  were 
very  fond  of  pets.  I  noticed  a  wealthy  fashionable 
woman  one  bitter  cold  winter  day,  charter  a  special  car 
to  send  a  poodle  and  a  monkey  and  a  favorite  cat  to  a 
southern  resort  for  their  health,  while  by  her  order  a 
constable  set  a  poor  sick  widow  and  six  small  children 
out  of  one  of  her  tenements  on  the  sidewalk,  for  non- 
payment of  a  month's  rent.  The  widow  died  from  ex- 
posure and  the  children  were  scattered,  while  the  heart- 
less landlady's  brute  pets  were  reveling  in  Southern 
climes. 

"A  fashionable  lady  of  Centropolis  was  awarded 
$7,500  damages  against  a  railway  company  that  was 
responsible  for  the  death  of  a  favorite  poodle.  The 
defendant  corporation  sought  to  have  the  judgment 
set  aside  as  excessive,  on  the  ground  that  no  poodle  is 
worth  so  much  money.  The  reviewing  court  sus- 
tained the  verdict,  remarking  that  the  plaintiff  had  no 
children,  and  that  the  treasured  love  and  affection  of  a 


68  D' MAES  AFFINITY. 

fond  mother's  heart  was  lavishly  bestowed  upon  this 
pet.  She  was  therefore  entitled  to  compensation  for 
her  mental  suffering  and  anguish, 

"During  the  same  court  term  the  case  of  a  very 
bright  five-year-old  child  came  before  the  court  for 
review.  The  child  had  been  killed  by  a  motor  of  the 
Consolidated  Traction  Company.  The  negligence  of 
the  company  was  admitted.  The  only  question  was  the 
measure  of  damages  to  which  its  father  was  entitled. 
The  jury  awarded  him  $5,000.  This  verdict  was  set 
aside  by  the  trial  judge  as  'absurdly  excessive/  and  a 
new  trial  ordered.  On  the  second  trial  the  jury  ren- 
dered a  verdict  for  $5,000.  An  application  for  a  third 
trial  had  a  hearing  in  the  appellate  court.  The  court 
ordered  a  third  trial,  and  in  rendering  the  decision  of 
the  court  the  chief  justice  said: 

"  'It  is  patent  that  when  damages,  in  a  case  of  this 
kind,  are  assessed  by  the  jury  at  such  a  sum  as  $5,000 
they  are  not  estimated  on  any  correct  legal  principle. 
Our  statutes  confine  the  amount  of  the  recovery  in  such 
cases  to  the  pecuniary  injury  sustained  by  the  next  of 
kin.  This  is  nothing  more  than  a  deprivation  of  a 
reasonable  expectation  of  a  pecuniary  advantage  which 
would  have  resulted  by  a  continuance  of  the  life  of  the 
deceased. 

"  'Children  are  more  often  an  expense  than  a  pecun- 
iary benefit  to  the  father.  If  at  the  father's  death  an 
account  was  stated  showing,  on  the  one  side,  the  mon- 
eys received  by  the  father  from  his  child,  in  a  majority 
of  every  hundred  cases  the  moneys  expended  for  the 
benefit  of  the  child  will  be  found  to  be  far  in  excess  of 
the  amount  received  from  him.  And  yet,  on  the  theory 
upon  which  this  verdict  is  based,  the  larger  a  man's 
family  is  the  more  likely  is  he  to  die  rich.  In  the  pres- 
ent case,  if  the  father  of  the  decedent  had  a  reasonable 
expectation  of  being  benefited,  in  dollars  and  cents, 
to  the  extent  of  $5,000,  by  the  continuance  of  the  life 


'the  ladies  listened  in  breathless  silence  as  he 

PROCEEDED."— Page  1-41. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  59 

of  his  deceased  child,  a  family  of  ten  sons  would  justify 
the  assumption  that  at  his  death  he  would  be  better  off 
by  $50,000  than  if  he  had  never  had  issue.  The  mere 
statement  of  such  an  assumption  makes  its  absurdity- 
apparent.' 

"A  third  trial  was  had  and  a  third  jury  rendered  a 
verdict  for  $5,000  for  the  death  of  the  boy.  This  third 
verdict  was  taken  to  the  supreme  court  and  it  also  was 
set  aside. 

"A  fourth  trial  was  ordered  and  the  jury  awarded 
a  judgment  of  $2,000.  This  verdict  was  also  set  aside, 
and  soon  after  the  judge  who  rendered  the  first  famous 
decision  was  elevated  to  the  position  of  supreme  judge. 

"I  see,  my  friends  and  neighbors,  that  you  are  sur- 
prised, and  well  you  may  be  in  this  Christian  land  and 
age  of  humanity.  But  I  relate  what  I  saw  without  a 
word  of  exaggeration. 


60  D'MABS  AFEINITT. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Thk  Strang^  Liquid. 

"There  were  in  Centropolis  twenty-three  thousand 
lawyers  and  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  courts  of 
record,  aside  from  the  courts  held  by  petty  justices. 
The  thirty-six  volumes  of  statutory  law  comprised  only 
a  fraction  of  the  law  of  Tom.  The  great  bulk  of  the 
law  was  buried  in  decisions  of  the  supreme  courts  of 
the  various  states.  So  complicated  and  contradictory 
were  these  decisions  that  no  business  man  would  at- 
tempt any  important  transaction  without  consulting  a 
lawyer,  and  even  the  lawyer  could  only  guess  at  the 
law.  The  twenty-eight  criminal  courts  were  in  per- 
petual session,  while  the  twelve  divorce  courts  were 
busy  as  bees.  Each  court  was  provided  with  two 
judges  who  took  monthly  vacations  alternately.  Even 
with  this  rest  a  dozen  judges  went  crazy  annually  in 
their  vain  efforts  to  comprehend  the  ingenious  argu- 
m.ents  of  the  lawyers. 

"Several  attempts  had  been  made  to  codify  the 
laws,  but  the  commissioners  always  died  of  old  age  be- 
fore they  could  finish  the  work. 

"Disease  germs  held  high  carnival  in  Centropolis, 
despite  the  forty-three  thousand  doctors  and  the  twelve 
thousand  three  hundred  different  brands  of  patent  med- 
icine. Every  one  of  means  kept  one  family  physician, 
while  the  very  wealthy  families  kept  two  or  three. 
Nervous  prostration  and  indigestion  were  the  chief 
maladies.  Doctors  prescribed  diet  cards  daily  and  var- 
ied the  massage  and  other  nerve  and  circulation  treat- 
ment weekly,  or  as  often  as  something  new  was  dis- 
covered. 

"The  wealthy  classes  who  enjoyed  the  most  luxur- 
ious palaces  were  the  chief  suffereres.     The  acute  stage 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  61 

which  the  competitive  system  had  reached  was  a  severe 
strain  on  the  men.  They  practically  lived  on  excite- 
ment. Business  men  not  only  suspected  one  another, 
but  each  knew  that  the  other  sought  to  rob  him.  Hon- 
esty and  fair  dealing  were  never  thought  of.  It  was 
impossible  in  a  game  where  ten  men  competed  for 
business  that  would  support  only  one.  The  schemes 
employed  by  shrewd  men  to  get  business  away  from 
one  another  were  unique.  The  business  maxim  was, 
'Do  others  before  they  do  you.'  Another  favorite 
maxim  was,  'Get  money  honestly  if  you  can,  but  get 
it.'  A  business  man's  chief  concern  was  to  keep  out  of 
jail,  and  if  he  succeeded  he  was  considered  exception- 
ally honest. 

"To  get  into  the  clutches  of  the  law  was  a  serious 
thing.  Strict  law  enforcement  was  the  boast  of  Tom 
and  especially  of  Centropolis,  Murder,  forgery,  em- 
bezzlement and  robbery  were  punishable  by  the  death 
penalty.  Those  who  were  too  poor  to  hire  lawyers 
were  quickly  dispatched,  but  with  the  wealthy  the  case 
was  very  different.  A  wealthy  criminal  could  keep  his 
case  in  the  courts  until  he  died  of  old  age  or  suicide. 

"I  noticed  one  very  wealthy  man  who  had  hired  a 
miserable  wretch  to  kill  a  competitor.  The  evidence 
against  him  was  complete.  He  was  indicted  and  put 
on  trial.  He  employed  a  famous  criminal  lawyer  who 
kept  his  case  in  court  eighteen  years ;  the  chief  wit- 
nesses all  died  and  he  was  finally  discharged — a  poor 
man.  Three  lawyers  had  grown  rich  out  of  him  and 
the  county  had  to  foot  a  cost  bill  of  $37,000.  He  had 
been  sentenced  to  death  twelve  times  and  each  sentence 
was  set  aside  on  some  technicality.  In  one  instance  he 
was  awarded  a  new  trial  on  the  ground  that  one  of  the 
jurors,  while  sitting  in  the  box,  took  a  pinch  of  snuff 
contrary  to  the  court  rules.  This  juror  was  sentenced 
to  six  months  in  jail  for  contempt  of  court,  and  a  gold 
medal  was  awarded  the  presiding  judge  by  the  Dracon- 


62  D'MAliS  AFFINITY. 

ian  Club  in  appreciation  of  his  strict  enforcement  of 
law. 

"Severe  as  was  the  competitive  strain  and  drain 
upon  the  nerve  and  vital  forces  of  men,  it  was  still  more 
trying  on  women.  Woman's  social  status  was  graded 
by  her  ability  to  dress  and  entertain.  No  woman  of 
standing  was  supposed  to  appear  at  a  second  party  or 
high  social  function  wearing  the  same  gown,  hat,  or 
gloves.  In  the  circles  of  the  ultra  fashionable,  known 
as  the  'Smart  Set,'  no  woman  was  permitted  to  work, 
or  even  walk  a  square.  Nor  was  she  permitted  to 
oversee  the  management  of  her  palace.  The  necessity 
of  an  heir  to  inherit  the  estate  required  her  to  rear  one 
or  possibly  two  children.  Being  denied  the  natural 
exercise  necessary  for  physical  and  mental  health,  they 
resorted  to  massage  and  stimulants.  Ingenious  me- 
chanical devices  supplied  the  defect  of  physique.  The 
face  and  bust  were  the  work  of  artists,  aided  by  cos- 
metics. Children,  being  fed  on  stimulants  and  rich, 
highly-seasoned  food,  all  their  lower  passions  devel- 
oped prematurely.  Their  dark  desires  were  stimulated 
b\  reading  sentimental  novels  and  viewing  erotic 
dramas.  As  a  result,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  when 
they  should  have  attained  full  and  normal  develop- 
ment, and  capability  for  the  enjoyment  of  life,  they 
were  wilted  hot-house  plants.  The  candle  had  been 
burning  at  both  ends.  They  had  scaled  the  heights 
of  human  passion  in  search  of  joy  amid  the  transitory 
things  of  time;  they  now  stood  on  the  cold  peaks  of 
splendid  isolation ;  in  spring  they  had  sent  out  no  hap- 
py messages  of  love  into  the  living,  pulsating  world  of 
thought ;  summer  brought  no  returns  of  joy ;  they  must 
now  retrace  their  steps  and  wring  out  sin  in  suffering. 

"It  is  true  that  these  fashionable  women  had  wealth 
unlimited,  which  to  the  poor  seemed  to  be  everything; 
but  they  realized  how  little  wealth  can  do  to  bring  hap- 
piness to  its  selfish  worshiper.     It  is  true  a  depth  of 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  63 

degradation  was  in  some  cases  reached,  wherein  the 
foolish  victim  did  for  a  time  enjoy  the  pastime  of 
making  others  jealous,  envious  and  miserable,  by  pa- 
rading her  wealth.  But  even  that  sort  of  enjoyment 
incurred  its  penalty.  Every  baleful  message,  sooner 
or  later  returned  to  the  sender  accompanied  by  seven 
othtrs   worse  than  itself. 

"Thus  the  fashionable  set  of  Centropolis  were  really 
and  necessarily  unhappy,  even  in  the  plenteous  posses- 
sion of  the  fruits  of  others'  toil.  But  in  that  exist- 
ence they  only  tasted  the  foam  on  the  cup  of  misery, 
which  they  were  compelled  to  drink  to  the  dregs  in 
©ther  mortal  existences  to  come  later  on. 

"One  of  the  great  industries  of  Erebus  was  the 
manufacture  and  sale  of  a  liquid  that  made  those  who 
drank  of  it  temporarily  crazy.  This  dangerous  liquid 
was  extracted  from  rye,  corn,  wheat  or  barley. 

"The  effect  of  this  drink  on  different  men  was 
yeally  amusing.  It  made  some  men  talk  nonsense. 
Some  wanted  to  fight.  It  made  others  imagine  they 
were  rich.  Under  the  awful  strain  of  the  competitive 
system,  men  became  worn  out  with  fear  and  worry 
and  they  would  drink  this  liquid  in  order  to  forget  their 
troubles.  Women,  too,  became  heavy  drinkers,  espe- 
cially among  the  wealthier  classes.  They  had  their 
worries  and  disappointments  over  social  functions  and 
dressmakers,  and  the  snvibs  that  the  'smart  set'  inflicted 
on  one  another.  Not  being  permitted  to  perform  any 
sort  of  manual  labor  and  having  few  or  no  children  to 
occupy  their  attention,  and  being  devoid  of  talent  or 
taste  for  the  arts  and  sciences,  many  of  these  fashiona- 
bles lulled  away  their  time  reading  sensational  novels, 
drinking  strong  stimulants  and  sleeping  off  the  effects. 
"In  Centropolis  were  50,000  places,  or  saloons 
where  the  customers  spent  more  money  than  they  in- 
vested in  food  for  their  families.  The  cost  of  running 
the  Centropolis  saloons  was  estimated  at  one  hundred 


54  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

million  dollars  annually,  and  the  bar  receipts  for  the 
liquor  thus  sold  was  estimated  at  four  times  the  cost 
of  selling  it,  or  four  hundred  million  dollars  annually. 
"The  great  masses  of  toilers  were  poor.  They 
lived  in  flats  and  tenements ;  in  some  cases  a  family  of 
six  or  seven  would  live  in  one  or  two  rooms  and  five 
hundred  families  would  swarm  in  one  vast  building. 
It  was  an  awful  sight  to  behold  the  droves  of  dirty, 
ragged  children  in  the  streets  and  to  hear  their  lan- 
guage ;  and  to  inhale  the  odors  was  something  terrible. 
About  all  these  miserable  creatures  knew  was  work,  eat, 
drink  and  die.  In  their  artificial  environments,  re- 
moved from  nature,  they  knew  nothing  of  God  except 
what  they  were  told  by  others.  They  were  told  that 
He  was  a  God  of  love  and  justice  and  mercy;  fond  of 
praise  and  glorification;  and  in  a  constant  attitude  of 
anger  toward  those  who  did  not  love  and  praise  Him. 
Moreover,  they  were  told  that  God  had  favorites  to 
whom  He  gave  vast  wealth  in  order  to  test  their  loy- 
alty and  that  he  inflicted  poverty  and  suffering  upon 
others  for  the  same  purpose.  Erebus  was  a  place  of 
probation  and  suffering  in  which  a  powerful  evil  spirit 
was  permitted  to  tempt  the  probationists  and  capture 
them  if  he  could.  Those  whom  he  captured,  would 
after  death  be  consigned  to  a  bottomless  pit  of  burning 
flame,  so  constituted  that  it  never  consumed  its  living 
fuel;  while  those  who  held  out  against  the  tempter, 
and  supported  some  church  organization,  were  sure  of 
eternal  happiness. 

"Many  ministers  who  preached  to  the  poor  de- 
nounced usury  and  monopoly  of  the  means  ■  of  exis- 
tence and  spoke  disrespectfully  of  extravagant  social 
functions  in  which  thousands  of  dollars  were  expend- 
ed in  flowers  and  finery,  while  infants  died  in  tene- 
ments for  the  want  of  the  nourishment  that  a  few  pal- 
try dollars  would  buy.  Such  utterances  from  the  pui- 
pit  were  condemned  by  the  respectable  press  as  tend- 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  65 

ing  toward  anarchy  and  when  a  minister  became  too 
earnest  in  his  denunciations  of  the  idolatry  of  wealth 
and  the  monopoly  of  the  people's  natural  rights,  he 
was  suspended  or  excommunicated  by  the  church  au- 
thorities, and  the  faithful  were  forbidden  to  listen  to 
him  or  even  associate  with  him  under  penalty  of 
eternal  damnation. 

"Although  suicide  was  condemned  by  all  churches, 
by  society  and  by  the  law,  its  victims  steadily  increased 
in  Centropolis.  Its  chief  source  was  unbelief  in  either 
future  punishment  or  reward.  The  orthodox  doctrine 
— that  God  created  such  a  veritable  personality  as  the 
devil  and  permitted  him  to  tempt  people  who  were  con- 
signed to  eternal  punishment  for  falling  into  his  traps ; 
and  the  further  proposition  that  God  discriminated  be- 
tween his  children  by  decreeing  that  some  should  live 
in  luxury  off  of  the  toil  of  others  who  must  suffer  pri- 
vation and  want — was  so  obnoxious  to  thinking  people 
as  well  as  to  the  toilers,  that  agnosticism  and  material- 
ism made  sad  inroads  on  the  churches,  and  encouraged 
the  suicidal  mania.  Another  fruitful  cause  for  suicide 
was  insanity  produced  by  the  disease  and  nervous 
strain  of  a  competitive  system  and  mercenary  fashion. 
"But  in  this,  as  in  all  other  emergencies,  hypocrisy 
and  deception  came  to  the  rescue  of  fashionable  society. 
The  Imperial  Operating  Society  was  the  resort  for 
fashionable  people  who  had  decided  to  pass  over  before 
their  allotted  time.  Instead  of  resorting  to  the  old 
vulgar  method  which  disgraced  surviving  relatives, 
the  intended  suicide  shuffled  off  the  mortal  coil  under 
the  direction  of  skilled  physicians  who  guaranteed  a 
painless  death.  Just  what  their  guarantee  was  worth 
was  not  easily  proved,  as  no  one  ever  returned  to  claim 
damages  in  a  court.  It  was  what  would  be  termed  a 
safe  business.  The  harsh  edge  was  taken  off  the  sui- 
cide by  the  press  announcement  that  ]Mr. or  Mrs. 

died  on  the  operating  table. 


66  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

"This  novel  mode  of  protecting  the  family  from 
disgrace  was  confined  almost  entirely  to  the  better 
classes.  Scores  of  double  murders  and  suicides  were 
reported  by  the  press  daily.  Indeed  the  sale  of  a  news- 
paper depended  largely  upon  its  ability  to  gather  up  all 
the  more  sensational  criminal  news  and  print  it  with 
scare  headings  and  illustrations.  To  see  scores  of 
newsboys,  in  fierce  competition  over  the  sale  of  these 
sensational  newspapers,  was  a  curious  spectacle. 

"The  little  fellows  were  often  ragged  and  un- 
kempt, but  they  were  full  of  the  competitive  spirit. 
They  flocked  about  the  great  hotels  and  chief  business 
corners,  keeping  up  an  unearthly  din  of  voices  as  they 
poked  the  'latest'  and  the  'extras'  in  the  faces  of  all 
who  passed. 

"  'The  Dodo,  Hobo  and  Bird—aW  about  the  rail- 
road  accident — one  hundred   and   seventy-five   killed. 

"  'All  about  the  diamond  robbery.  Prominent  soci- 
ety woman  suspected.' 

"  'Den  of  robbers  rounded  up — four  detectives  and 
thirty  policemen  killed.' 

"  'All  about  the  Rockside  sensation — new  develop- 
ments.' 

"  'All  about  the  prize  fight  and  knockout  of  big  Jo- 
horo.' 

'"Ha's  y'r  Bvening  Hobo!  All  about  the  twenty- 
seven  murders  and  thirty-four  suicides !'  yells  one  boy 
ar  the  top  of  his  voice. 

"  'G'y'a  th'r !  The  Bird  has  forty-one  suicides  !'  yells 
another,  and  so  on,  the  purchaser  invariably  selecting 
the  paper  that  showed  the  highest  criminal  record. 

"The  great  republic  of  Tom,  with  its  185,000.000 
population,  had  only  seventeen  great  newspapers 
when  I  left.  Three  of  these  papers,  the  Morning 
Dodo,  the  Evening  Hobo,  and  the  Bird,  were  pub- 
lished at  Centropolis. 

"The    Dodo    and    the    Hobo    were    rockribbed 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  67 

partisan  sheets  and  of  course  assailed  each  other  vi- 
ciously. The  Bird  was  independent,  with  leanings 
toward  the  dominant  party.  It  was  vehement  in  its 
editorial  denunciation  of  such  evils  as  met  general 
condemnation.  But  it  handled  issues  upon  which  the 
public  divided  closely  with  great  caution  and  when 
they  came  up  in  a  campaign  the  Bird  was  silent 
until  after  election.  Its  shrewd  caution  gave  the 
Bird  the  reputation  of  being  a  great  skater  in  sum- 
mer and  a  champion  swimmer  in  winter. 

"The  'Bird'  outdid  all  that  had  preceded  it  in  the 
rankest  yellow  journalism.  It  quickly  reached  a  won- 
derful sale.  The  Sunday  'Bird'  was  sent  out  all  over 
the  land  of  Tom  by  special  train  loads.  It  was  an 
especial  favorite  of  the  wealthy.  Its  illustrated  puf- 
fery of  the  'Smart  Set'  knew  no  bounds.  Fashionable 
women  whose  fame  it  sounded  bought  scores  of 
'Birds'  and  mailed  them  to  their  friends.  The  poorer 
classes,  ever  anxious  to  follow  the  rich,  rushed  for  the 
'Bird'  and  felt  elevated  to  the  seventh  heaven  when 
some  of  their  names  chanced  to  appear  in  its  society 
news. 

"Other  enterprising  publishers  saw  that  they 
must  sing  or  get  off  the  perch.  But  how  could  they 
compete  with  the  'Bird,'  That  would  cost  money. 
Where  could  they  get  the  money?  But  that  problem 
was  easily  solved.  Indeed  they  were  surprised  to  see 
how  easily  the  money  came  when  sought  in  the  proper 
quarters.  It  was  only  necessary  to  sell  to  the  great 
Mergerton  trust  syndicate  sixty  per  cent  of  the  stock 
ni  the  improved  papers, 

"The  great  Sunday  paper  was  now  conducted  on 
the  syndicate  plan  and  became  a  sort  of  mild  opiate, 
that  produced  a  dream,  not  unlike  the  effects  of  opium. 
Men  and  women  would  recline  on  sofas  and  feast  their 
eyes  and  gorge  their  mental  vacuum  on  the  colorings 
and  creations  of  the  distempered  fancy  and  diseased 


68  B'MABS  AFFINITY, 

imaginations  of  crazed  fashion  artists  and  wild  sensa- 
tionalists. 

"The  publishers  of  these  seventeen  great  blanket 
papers  fairly  coined  money.  They  conceded  cheer- 
fully every  demand  of  labor  and  increased  their  ad- 
vertising rates  50  per  cent  every  time  they  advanced 
Visages  five.  The  smaller  papers  which  stood  for  the 
people  could  not  afford  these  advances  and  were  there- 
fore compelled  to  suspend  or  be  placed  on  the  boycott 
list  by  the  walking  delegate,  which  meant  ruin. 

"The  entire  daily  press  of  Tom  was  now  reduced 
to  8  Dodo  and  8  Hobo  papers  and  the  'Bird,'  Before 
taking  a  stand  on  any  great  public  question,  the  edi- 
tors consulted  the  business  offices,  they  consulted  the 
bankers  and  they  conferred  with  Mergerton. 

"After  Mergerton's  trust  syndicate  had  secured 
absolute  control  of  the  mental  as  well  as  the  physical 
provender  of  Tom,  it  began  to  assert  its  power.  The 
prices  of  iron,  steel,  copper,  coal,  beef  and  pork,  to- 
gether with  many  other  staple  products  were'  ad- 
vanced beyond  all  reason.  Through  trust  economy 
tens  of  thousands  were  thrown  out  of  employment  and 
driven  from  their  homes  for  non-payment  of  rent. 
Centropolis  was  a  groaning  vault  of  wealth,  surround- 
ed by  a  sea  of  poverty  and  degradation. 

"Ages  rolled  by  while  I  saw  myself  toiling  and 
broiling  in  this  enslaved  city  of  sordid  greed,  un- 
bridled passion  and  untold  misery.  How  often !  O 
how  often !  with  envious  eyes  I  had  watched  the  never 
ending  stream  of  corpses  of  the  poor  poured  into  the 
great  public  crematory,  from  whose  towering  chim- 
neys roared  perpetual  flames.  Not  a  foot  of  ground 
could  be  spared  on  which  their  weary  bones  could 
rest  and  kindly  hands  plant  a  flower.  The  land  was 
all  needed  for  deer  parks  and  hunting  grounds. 
Scarcely  were  the  poor  people's  eyes  closed  in  death's 
cold  embrace  when  the  black  cart  called  and  carried 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  69 

off  the  emaciated  body.  When  the  cart  was  filled  the 
load  was  dumped  upon  the  endless  chain  feeder  and 
over  it  went  into  the  furnace.  It  was  cremated  in  a 
moment,  so  ravenous  was  nature  to  claim  her  own. 
"In  all  this  mass  of  sweltering-,  enslaved  humanity 
I  saw  much  good.  Vastly  more  good  than  bad.  Wor- 
ship of  wealth  and  suspicion  of  one  another  was  at 
the  bottom  of  all  the  trouble.  They  all  hated  and  en- 
vied Mergerton  and  his  associates.  Yet  they  secretly 
admired  his  wealth.  The  moment  I  arose  above  my 
surroundings  I  began  to  enslave  those  beneath  me  and 
kiss  the  hand  that  smote  me. 

"As  I  saw  myself  struggling  through  the  disease- 
laden  atmosphere  of  this  vile  city — as  bad  as  any  of 
them — I  abandoned  the  stereoscope,  threw  myself  on  a 
cot  and  in  the  agony  of  despair  cried  out  for  light  and 
truth.  I  had  seen  enough  of  Centropolis.  ^^^eary  and 
sick  I  fell  into  a  deep  sleep. 


70  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

An  Inspiration. 

"In  my  next  state  of  consciousness  I  found  my- 
self on  a  cot,  weary  and  heartsick.  The  objects  in  my 
room  seemed  familiar,  yet  I  could  not  fully  realize 
them.  I  was  very  tired,  all  my  bones  ached  and  each 
nerve  felt  strained.  Ariel  stood  by  my  bed.  Gradual- 
ly the  scene  changed.  My  cot  was  in  a  beautiful  gar- 
den. Soft  sunlight  came  down  through  almond  trees 
whose  white  bloom  waved  in  the  breeze.  Ariel  ap- 
proached me  accompanied  by  a  young  woman  radiant 
in  beauty.  She  was  clad  in  some  delicate  fabric,  so 
light  that  it  might  have  been  a  spider-web  spun  from 
mountain  dew.  She  was  singing  a  familiar  song.  I 
was  instantly  revived.  I  had  heard  that  song  before. 
But  where?  She  approached  nearer.  Suddenly  I 
realized  that  it  was  Ethel.  Her  mortal  ailments  were 
gone.  She  had  developed  into  the  most  beautiful  wo- 
manhood. I  tried  to  arise  and  meet  her  but  some  un- 
seen power  held  me  to  my  couch. 

"Ethel!  my  lost  love!  My  Ethel!  Foiind  at  last! 
Never  to  part  again. 

"For  ages  I  have  sought  thee,  Ozam.  Remember 
thy  promise.  Love  only  is  real  life  and  Truth  the 
only  light,"  she  said,  as  a  smile  of  angelic  beauty  il- 
luminated her  happy  face. 

"My  lost  Ethel.  Mine  at  last.  We  shall  never 
part  again,"  I  exclaimed,  as  I  arose  from  my  couch 
and  extended  my  arms  to  embrace  her.  You  know  the 
rest.  Instead  of  taking  to  my  arms  my  lov^d  one,  my 
aflfinity  for  all  eternity,  I  found  myself  sitting  upright 
in  that  horrible  casket.  Language  cannot  tell  the 
agony  of  that  disappointment." 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  n 

"What  became  of  Ariel,  your  guide,  through  this 
wonderful  experience?"  inquired  one  of  his  friends. 

"I  know  not.  All  I  know  is  that  I  parted  from 
him  and  Ethel  in  that  garden  and  found  myself  in  the 
casket.  What  do  you  all  think  of  such  an  experience? 

^'It  was  surely  a  strange  dream.  It  borders  very 
closely  on  the  supernatural,"  remarked  a  young  man. 

"The  supernatural?"  repeated  D'Mars,  "What  do 
we  know  of  the  supernatural  or  even  of  the  natural 
laws  that  govern  mind  and  by  which  mind  governs 

matter?"  ,r-.„  •       •     j 

"What  do  you  think  of  it  yourself?'  mquired  a 

gentleman  with  some  concern. 

"I  am  positive  that  I  have  seen  in  retrospect  a 
portion  of  my  past  mortal  existence.  I  am  also  cer- 
tain that  Ethel  is  an  actual  existing  being  now  m  mor- 
tal Hfe  and  that  she  is  essential  to  my  happiness  and 
that  I  must  find  her.  And  I  further  feel  sure  that  I 
will  find  her,  if  I  am  able  to  put  my  mind  in  the  proper 
spiritual  condition."  . 

"Your  mind  is  all  right,  except  this  hallucmation ; 
you  should  make  all  possible  effort  to  free  yourself 
from  it.  When  you  find  it  coming  on  thmk  of  some- 
thing else.  Do  something  to  divert  your  mind  from 
it,"  remarked  an  old  physician. 

"And  what  is  your  opinion?"  inquired  D  Mars  ot 
the  minister,  a  most  excellent,  devout  and  exem- 
plary man.  ,  . 

"I  hardly  know  what  to  say.  If  your  vision  has 
come  from  the  Source  of  light  and  truth  then  our 
creeds  and  our  dogmas  are  all  at  fault." 

"But  there  is  nothing  in  this  vision  that  contra- 
venes the  gospel.  It  seems  to  be  a  plea  for  primitive 
Christianitv  as  taught  by  the  Great  Master  and  His 
followers  during  its  early  struggles,"  said  an  old 
gentleman. 

"As  I  said,  it  is  a  strange  thing,"  replied  the  min- 


72  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

ister,  "The  ways  of  the  devil  are  devious.  I  would 
advise  Mr,  D'Mars  to  throw  himself  at  the  feet  of 
Jesus  and  pray  for  light  and  divine  guidance.  The 
light  is  never  denied  to  those  who  seek  it  earnestly." 

"That  is  precisely  what  I  have  done,"  replied 
D'Mars,  "and  the  more  fervently  I  seek  divine  light 
and  guidance  the  more  firmly  the  impression  seizes  me 
that  I  maist  find  Ethel." 

"You  know  that  Ethel  is  dead.  You  saw  her 
buried,"  remarked  another  physician. 

"Very  true.  I  also  know  that  I  have  been  dead 
in  a  similar  way,  hundreds  of  times,"  replied  D'Mars, 
who  was  evidently  deeply  imbued  with  the  ancient 
doctrine  of  reincarnation. 

"Then  you  regard  this  dream  as  a  revelation?" 
remarked  an  old  friend,  and  the  father  of  ^ the  little 
girl  who  saw  Ethel  by  the  casket  and  Reard  her  voice. 

"How  else  could  I  regard  it,  at  least,  until  I  have 
further  light." 

All  eyes  turned  inquiringly  on  the  minister,  who 
was  evidently  in  deep  thought.     He  finally  said : 

"Yes,  until  you  have  further  light,  and  if  this  is  a 
revelation  you  will  have  further  light.    Be  patient." 

That  night  •  D'Mars  decided  to  follow  the  min- 
ister's advice  most  religiously.  Alone  in  his  study,  he 
threw  himself  upon  his  knees  and  prayed  fervently  for 
light  and  divine  aid  in  the  unraveling  of  this  strange 
mystery  which  had  come  into  his  life.  He  cast  off 
self,  banished  all  ulterior  motives,  and  arose  above  all 
mortal  passion  as  far  as  possible.  A'fter  an  hour  he 
felt  more  calm  and  peaceful.  He  resumed  his  chair 
and  fell  into  a  quiet  reverie  as  he  contemplated  the 
mystery  of  life. 

His  door  noiselessly  opened  and  a  tall  gentleman 
of  middle  age  entered  his  study  and  quietly  sat  down 
in  an  easy  chair. 

D'Mars  was  not  the  least  disturbed  over  the  in- 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  "-S 

trusion.    His  visitor  was  an  utter  stranger.    But  even 
that  did  not  disturb  him. 

"So  you  desire  light  and  truth?"  remarked  the 

stranger.  . 

"I  do,"  said  D'Mars,  "and  by  the  way,  may  I  m- 
quire  who  honors  me  by  this  visit?" 

"I  am  known  in  mortality  as  the  Hermit  of  Mt. 
St.  Elias.  but  I  am  really  Jonas,  the  prophet,  whom 
you  met  in  Multo,"  replied  the  visitor. 

D'Mars  was  now  disturbed.  He  feared  that  he 
was  about  to  pass  into  another  trance.  He  tried  to 
reassure  himself  that  he  was  not  asleep. 

"Be  not  alarmed,"  said  the  Hermit,  "I  come  to 
help  you  to  find  happiness." 

"Can  you  aid  me  in  finding  Ethel  ?" 
"I  can." 

"Was  my  existence  during  that  trance  real— as 
real  as  this  existence?" 

"It  certainly  was.  You  never  had  but  one  real 
existence,  although  you  have  occupied  successively 
many  mortal  bodies.  You  will  continue  to  sin  and 
suffer  in  mortality  until  you  eliminate  the  mortal  mind 
and  for  it  substitute  the  divine  or  spiritual  mind.  You 
will  never  accomplish  that  until  you  find  Ethel,  your 
affinity,  who  is  necessary  to  your  complete  intelli- 
gence." 

"I  know  I  shall  never  be  happy  until  I  find  Ethel. 
Now,  good  Hermit,  will  you  tell  me  where  I  can  find 
her?"  pleaded  D'Mars  in  tones  of  meek  supplication. 
"I  am  not  permitted  to  say  or  do  anything  that 
would  interfere  with  your  free  will.  I  cannot  give  you 
the  information  you  ask." 

"Then  Ethel  is  a  reality  ?" 
"She  is,  as  real  as  you  are." 
"Does  she  love  me?" 

"She  does.     It  is  love  for  you  that  has  induced 
her  to  seek  you  during  countless  ages.     You  are  as 


74  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

necessary  to  htr  happiness  as  she  is  to  j^ours." 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  will  you  tell  me  how  to  find 
her?"  exclaimed  D'Mars,  his  eyes  staring  wildly. 

"Ethel  herself  gave  you  the  key  when  she  said, 
'Love  only  is  real  life  and  Truth  the  only  light.'  Re- 
member this :  'Where  there  is  selfishness  there  is  no 
real  love — where  the  mortal  mind  is  set  up  instead  of 
the  spiritual  mind,  there  is  no  truth,  and  without  truth 
there  can  be  no  light,  progress  or  happiness.'  " 

"What  shall  I  do,  now  and  here?  What  would 
you  advise  ?    I  will  follow  your  light,"  said  D'Mars. 

"You  are  rich  in  worldly  possessions.  You  have 
never  earned  a  penny  of  it.  You  tax  the  toilers  for 
the  use  of  God's  free  gifts  to  all  the  people.  You  eat 
bread  in  the  sweat  of  other  faces.  I  will  repeat  to 
you  the  command  of  the  Master  to  the  rich  young  man 
who  sought  eternal  happiness.  'Sell  all  thou  hast  and 
give  it  to  the  poor.'  Leave  this  place  at  once.  Go  to 
Chicago,  work  at  the  first  honest,  respectable  employ- 
ment 3^ou  can  find — and  remember  the  words  of  Ethel, 
'Love  only  is  real  life  and  Truth  the  only  light.'  One 
thing  more,  never  utter  a  falsehood  or  send  forth  a 
baleful  message  to  any  living  creature." 

"But  I  shall  be  penniless." 

"All  the  better.  The  desire  for  money  is  the  root 
of  all  evil  and  money  itself,  to  him  who  knows  not  how 
to  make  good  use  of  it,  is  an  impediment  to  the  true 
progress.  You  will  yet  have  abundance — see  that  you 
make  the  proper  use  of  it."  With  these  words  the 
Hermit  left  the  room  as  mysteriously  as  he  entered. 

D'Mars  looked  about  in  a  state  of  bewilderment. 
Mystery  seemed  to  be  heaped  upon  mystery.  He  had 
an  interpretation  of  the  vision  of  Multo.  He  knew 
that  Ethel  was  a  reality.  He  would  find  her.  The 
way  to  find  her  had  been  revealed  to  him.  The  search 
should  begin  at  once. 

The  following  dav  he  deeded  all  his  landed  estate 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  76 

to  the  founding  of  an  orphan  asylum.  He  next  placed 
all  his  money,  bonds  and  securities  in  the  hands  of  a 
trust  to  be  used  as  an  endowment  fund,  reserving  only 
enough  money  to  carry  him  to  Chicago. 

His  friends  now  considered  him  insane.  But  he 
had  no  heirs  and  no  pretext  could  be  found  on  which 
to  enjoin  him  from  disposing  of  his  wealth  a^  he  saw 
fit  or  to  set  aside  his  will, 


76  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

CHAPTER  X. 

Mr.   Vanstine. 

The  following  day,  D'Mars,  with  a  change  of 
:lothes  and  sufficient  money  to  pay  his  fare,  started  for 
Chicago,  to  begin  anew  in  the  world,  as  did  many  an- 
other good,  courageous  young  man.  Upon  arriving  in 
the  Windy  city,  he  had  his  satchel  checked,  and  set  out 
to  find  work,  as  the  Hermit  had  suggested.  He  smiled 
grimly  as  he  thought  of  the  learned  essays  he  had  writ- 
ten while  in  college,  on  how  easily  a  young  man  could 
win  without  money  if  he  had  the  "right  stuff"  in  him. 
He  was  now  in  a  position  to  test  his  plausible  theories. 

On  he  went  in  search  of  work.  He  must  find  a  job. 
He  saw  plenty  of  the  usual  signs  pasted  on  the  doors 
of  shops  and  factories,  "No  help  wanted,  keep  out." 
This  was  not  inviting.  He  saw  a  notice  occasionally, 
"Boy  wanted."  He  was  not  a  boy.  Nothing  there 
for  him.  He  had  read  in  novels  of  young  men  getting 
positions  in  large  commercial  houses  as  a  porter,  and 
finally  working  up  and  becoming  owner  of  the  business. 
So  he  entered  a  number  of  jobbing  houses  in  quest  of 
employment.  He  was  willing  to  do  anything,  but  no 
help  was  needed.  In  some  instances  he  was  even 
rudely  treated  and  informed  that  he  had  better  go  to 
the  country  where  the  "farmers  need  help." 

Growing  weary  of  rebuffs  in  the  business  center, 
he  started  out  towards  the  residence  portion  of  the  city 
on  the  west  side.  He  asked  permission  to  carry  a 
gentleman's  satchel,  which  was  refused.  He  sought 
a  position  as  coachman,  or  he  would  take  care  of  lawns, 
but  no  help  was  needed.  In  many  instances  he  was 
abused  for  ringing  the  front  door  bell.  He  should 
have  gone  around  to  the  rear  and  applied  to  the 
servant. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  77 

Passing  along  he  saw  a  load  of  coal  In  front  of  a 
fine  residence.  He  thought  he  might  carry  in  the  coal 
and  make  a  quarter.  He  walked  up  the  steps 
and  rang  the  bell.  A  porter  in  livery  opened  the  door 
and  stared  at  him. 

"Do  you  want  that  coal  carried  in?"  he  inquired. 

"How  dare  you  ring  that  bell?  The  side  door 
is  the  place  for  menials  to  apply,"  was  the  answer  as 
he   shut  the  door. 

He  went  to  the  side  door  and  met  a  woman  in 
uniform,  wearing  a  white  cap. 

"I  am  out  of  work  and  hungry,"  he  said,  as  he 
bowed  low,  "May  I  have  the  privilege  of  carrying  in 
that  coal  ?" 

"We  want  it  put  in  the  basement.  What  do  you 
ask?" 

"I  will  put  it  in  for  twenty-five  cents." 

"Go  ahead.     You  can  put  it  in  through  that  door." 

"Have  you  a  basket  and  shovel?" 

"No.  Them  what  puts  in  coal  has  their  own 
basket  and  shovel,"  she  replied  as  she  slammed  the 
door. 

He  began  to  realize  that  in  order  to  carry  in  a 
load  of  coal,  one  must  be  a  capitalist. 

"Something  must  be  done,"  he  said,  as  he  walked 
down  a  fashionable  avenue  and  saw  a  towering  church 
steeple  and  a  splendid  stone  parsonage  by  the  side  of 
the  church.  He  thought  he  would  get  some  food 
there  and  save  the  only  quarter  he  had  to  pay  for  lodg- 
ing. He  was  already  becoming  a  financier,  so  he  walked 
up  the  steps  and  rang  the  door  bell  of  the  parsonage. 
A  liveried  porter  opened  the  door.  D'Mars  inquired 
for  the  curate. 

"What  do  you  want?"  inquired  the  porter. 

D'Mars  told  his  story  as  meekly  as  possible. 

"He  gives  no  personal  aid.     He  gives  his  dona- 


78  D'MABS  AFFINITY 

tions  to  the  deserving  poor  through  church  societies," 
said  the  porter. 

"But  I  must  see  him,"  said  D'Mars  in  desperation. 

"Impossible,  he  is  taking  his  afternoon  nap  and  I 
lare  not  disturb  him,"  said  the  porter  as  he  gently 
losed  the  door. 

D'Mars  philosophized  as  he  walked  away.  He 
jegan  to  solve  the  problem  that  so  sorely  vexes  the 
clergy  why  so  many  working  men  don't  go  to  church. 

Weary  of  this  experience,  D'Mars  entered  a  beau- 
tiful park  and  sat  down  on  a  rustic  seat  to  rest  and 
think.  He  must  have  presented  a  dejected  appearance, 
for  a  park  policeman  disturbed  his  reverie  by  placing 
his  hand  on  D'Mars'  arm  and  inquiring. 

"What's  the  matter,  young  man  ?  Have  you  been 
touched  ?" 

D'Mars  gave  him  an  inquiring  look. 

"Has  y'r  pocket  bin  penched  ?"  continued  the  offi- 
cer good  naturedly. 

"Yes,  sir,"  D'Mars  replied,  with  grim  humor, 
"Badly  pinched.  I  am  a  stranger  here.  Been  search- 
ing for  work  all  day.  My  capital  is  reduced  to  a 
quarter.  Do  you  know  where  I  can  find  work — work 
of  any  sort — no  matter  how  hard?" 

"Indade  and  I  don't.  There's  thousands  like  ye 
in  this  city.     I'm  sorry  for  ye." 

"Could  you  not  direct  me  to  some  place  where 
you  have  a  stand-in  with  the  cook,  where  I  could  get 
some  lunch?"  inquired  D'Mars  innocently. 

"Go  on,  now  ye  blaggard,  what  ar  ye  given  a 
dacent  polaceman.  If  I  catch  yez  around  here  monkey- 
in,  it'll  go  hard  wid  ye,"  said  the  officer  as  he  walked 
away  casting  a  warning  look  at  D'Mars  over  his 
shoulder  as  he  struck  the  curb  with  his  baton. 

D'Mars  secured  lodging,  supper  and  breakfast  at 
the  Salvation  Army  barracks  that  night,  and  the  next 


D'MABS  AFFINITY  79 

morning  insisted  on  giving  them  the  twenty-five  cents. 
He  then  continued  his  quest  for  work. 

A  tour  of  a  large  manufacturing  district  produced 
no  more  favorable  results.  No  help  needed.  Two  or 
three  times  he  was  about  to  edge  into  a  position  as 
draftsman,  but  he  lacked  experience.  He  found  noth- 
ing that  promised  immediate  results. 

Passing  a  large  hustling  retail  grocery  store  and 
meat  market,  he  concluded  to  try  his  luck  in  trade. 

"No  help  needed,"  was  the  laconic  reply. 

"I  am  honest,  truthful  and  willing  to  work  at  any- 
thing honorable,  even  for  enough  to  live  on — work 
I  must  have.  I  could  sweep  out,  pack  baskets,  do 
anything,"  he  said  earnestly. 

"Have  you  a  family?"  was  asked. 

"I  have  no  family,  only  myself,  but  that  even  is 
important.  I  can  live  on  one  dollar  a  day  or  even 
less,  but  I  want  to  earn  it." 

"Have  you  any  recommendations?" 

"Nothing  but  my  face.  I  came  a  long  distance.  I 
have  been  told  many  times  to  go  home,  but  I  have 
no  home.  I  know  I  can  do  something  if  I  only  get  a 
chance." 

"I  will  try  you,"  said  the  proprietor.  "I  will  pay 
you  fifty  cents  a  day  to  start  with.  You  can  easily  live 
on  that  for  a  while  and  save  money,  down  at  the  Sal- 
vation Army  barracks.     Come  tomorrow  morning." 

He  stayed  that  night  at  the  Salvation  Army  rooms, 
told  them  he  had  found  work  and  made  arrangements 
to  stay  with  them  at  thirty-five  cents  a  day.  Next 
morning  he  reported  early  for  work  at  the  "Square 
Dealing"  grocery  store. 

After  a  few  days,  the  proprietor  told  him  that  he 
should  wait  on  customers  when  he  found  time  from 
his  labor  as  porter.  That  very  day  a  lady  came  in 
and  made  her  way  to  a  large  box  of  eggs  upon  which 
was  a  label,  "Fresh  eggs  from  the  country  today,  25c." 


80  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"These  are  not  packed  eggs  are  they?"  she  re* 
marked  as  she  touched  the  box  with  her  parasol. 

"Yes'm,"  he  replied,  "I  took  them  out  of  the  crate 
yesterday  myself." 

She  then  began  to  denounce  the  store  in  loud  and 
angry  terms  as  she  pointed  to  the  advertisement, 
"Fresh  eggs  from  the  country  today,  25c." 

The  proprietor  came  up  and  she  upbraided  him 
for  his  duplicity  and  told  him  what  D'Mars  had  ad- 
mitted. 

"Never  mind  him,"  said  the  proprietor.  "He  is  a 
green  hand  and  don't  know  what  he  is  talking  about." 
At  the  same  time  he  cast  a  glance  at  D'Mars  in  which 
he  could  see  his  finish. 

"I  would  rather  believe  him  than  you,  if  he  is 
green.  He  has  probably  not  yet  learned  to  deceive," 
said  the  woman  as  she  gathered  up  her  skirts  and 
rushed  for  the  door. 

"We  don't  need  you  any  longer,"  said  the  pro- 
prietor.   "You  are  too  big  a  fool  to  sell  goods." 

"But  I  only  told  the  truth,  wasn't  that  the  right 
thing  to  do?"  protested  D'Mars, 

"It  is  never  a  good  plan  to  do  the  right  thing  at 
the  wrong  time.  There  is  a  proper  time  for  every- 
thing," said  the  proprietor  with  emphasis.  "You  may 
go,  I  can  make  no  use  of  such  a  greenhorn  as  you 
are  and  I  doubt  if  anybody  else  in  this  city  can." 

Nothing  was  left  for  D'Mars  but  to  go  out  and 
hunt  another  job.  Passing  along  North  Dearborn 
street,  he  noticed  a  card  on  the  "Dolphin  Creamery" 
which  said,  "A  good  stout  man  wanted."  "That  means 
me,"  thought  D'Mars.  He  applied  for  the  position. 
After  an  examination,  the  manager  employed  him.  His 
work  was  to  carry  in  cans  and  pour  the  milk  into  the 
butter  extractors,  wash  cans  and  take  care  of  the  de- 
livery wagons  and  horses.     His  wages  were  seventy- 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  81 

five  cents  a  day,  and  he  got  along  with  this  work  very 
well  for  several  days. 

"I  think  you  are  an  honest  and  reliable  young 
man,"  said  the  superintendent  one  morning.  "I'm 
going  to  advance  you  to  a  delivery  route.  Your 
wages  shall  be  increased  to  eighty-five  cents  per  day." 

He  was  glad  of  the  change  for  now  he  had  an  op- 
portunity to  learn  the  streets  of  the  city.  He  remem- 
bered that  in  all  his  former  attempts  to  secure  work, 
his  ignorance  of  the  geography  of  the  city  had  been 
against  him. 

Early  next  day  he  started  out  in  the  fashionable 
neighborhood  of  Lake  Shore  Drive,  in  charge  of 
a  delivery  wagon,  and  a  list  of  customers.  He  got 
along  swimmingly  until  about  9  o'clock  when  "the  lady 
of  the  house"  came  to  the  rear  door  of  a  fashionable 
home  as  he  was  delivering  milk  to  the  servant.  She 
inquired  if  it  was  "this  morning's  milk." 

He  knew  very  well  that  it  was  the  milk  of  the 
previous  evening,  and  that  the  cream  had  been  extract- 
ed from  it.  How  to  get  out  of  the  scrape  without 
telling  a  rank  falsehood,  puzzled  him,  so  he  tried  to 
prevaricate  by  saying,  "Yes,  Ma'am,  this  is  the  morn- 
ing delivery." 

"I  know  that,"  she  replied,  "but  what  I  want  you 
to  answer  on  honor  is,  whether  it  was  milked  this 
m.orning." 

It  was  a  hard  struggle,  his  situation  against  the 
truth.  But  the  truth  won.  He  replied,  "No,  Ma'am, 
it  was  milked  last  evening,"  but  he  said  nothing  of 
the  cream  skimming. 

"Just  what  I  suspected,"  she  replied,  "and  the 
cream  skimmed  off  it  too." 

D'Mars  tried  to  find  some  reply  but  she  continued, 
"You  need  not  say  a  word.  I  know  the  cream  was 
skimmed  ofif,  because  no  cream  arose  on  the  milk  yes- 
terday and  it  soured  before  night  too.     I  shall  notify 


82  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

the  pure  food  inspector.  We  pay  an  extra  price  to 
the  'Dolphin'  for  milk  and  this  is  the  way  they  serve 
us." 

"Please  do  not  notify  the  inspector,"  he  said, 
"This  is  my  first  day  delivering  for  the  'Dolphin 
Creamery.'  I  have  already  lost  one  job  by  telling  the 
truth  and  if  I  lose  this  one  I  don't  know  what  will 
become  of  me." 

"Tell  me  about  it,"  she  said. 

He  then  related  to  her  his  experience  in  the 
grocery  and  how  he  had  resolved  to  be  ever  truth- 
ful. 

**If  they  discharge  you,  come  to  me,  maybe  I  can 
help  you." 

"Well,  how  did  you  get  along?"  inquired  the  pro- 
prietor, when  he  returned. 

He  related  to  his  employer  the  whole  story.  He 
was  in  a  towering  rage. 

"You  are  the  biggest  fool  I  ever  saw.  Go,  and 
never  show  your  face  in  this  locality  again,"  shouted 
his  employer,  as  he  discharged  the  young  man  on  the 
spot. 

D'Mars  started  out  and  walked  down  the  avenue 
in  the  direction  of  the  residence  of  the  lady  to  whom 
he  had  told  the  truth.  Before  proceeding  far  he  met 
her  and  an  elderly  gentleman  driving  in  a  carriage. 

"Did  they  discharge  you  ?"  inquired  the  lady  as  the 
carriage  came  to  a  stop. 

He  answered  in  the  affirmative  and  the  gentleman 
said,  "Get  in  here  and  go  with  us." 

He  obeyed,  wondering  what  change  was  to  come 
in  his  fortune.  The  carriage  stopped  in  front  of  a 
m^assive  structure  on  a  business  street  and  the  lady 
was  driven  away,  while  the  gentleman  and  D'Mars 
entered  the  elevator.  It  stopped  on  the  seventh  floor 
and  they  entered  the  offices  of  the  Consolidated  Rail- 
way system.     After  passing  through  an  extensive  of- 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  83 

fice  they  reached  a  door  on  which  was  marked  "J. 
Vanstine,  Private."  They  entered  and  Mr.  Vanstine 
ffave  D'Mars  a  seat  while  he  looked  over  some  letters 
for  half  an  hour.  He  then  turned  to  D'Mars,  saymg, 
"I  have  heard  your  story  from  the  housekeeper.  I 
believe  you  are  honest  and  I  wish  to  put  you  in  a  posi- 
tion where  you  can  do  something  for  yourself.  What 
would  you  like  to  do?" 

"Anything  that  is  honest  and  honorable,  no  mat- 
ter how  hard  the  work,"  D'Mars  replied. 

Mr.  Vanstine  was  a  man  of  about  sixty.  He  had 
a  kindly  intelligent  and  earnest  face  and  a  generous 
disposition.  He  resided  in  a  palatial  mansion  on  Lake 
Shore  Drive,  presided  over  by  Mrs.  Primrose,  a  rela- 
tive. His  life  was  shadowed  for  many  years  by  the 
loss  of  his  wife  and  a  little  daughter.  After  these  sad 
events  he  bent  all  his  energies  upon  business  and  had 
won  an  immense  fortune.  With  his  accustomed  scru- 
tiny and  precaution,  he  had  made  special  inquiry  as 
to  D'Mars'  qualifications  and  discovered  that  in  addi- 
tion to  an  excellent  classical  and  literary  education,  he 
had  taken  degrees  as  a  mechanical  engineer,  mineral- 
ogist and  assayer. 

"Can  you  make  a  reliable  assay  for  gold,  silver, 
copper  and  lead  ?" 

"I  can  find  out  what  the  ores  furnished  me  con- 
tain." 

"Well,  that  would  be  a  reliable  assay,  would  it 

not?' 

"It  might  be  reliable  as  to  the  specimens  assayed, 
but  it  would  be  a  very  poor  index  as  to  the  value  of  a 
mine  or  even  a  vein,  unless  the  samples  were  taken  by 
an  expert  who  knew  how  to  take  average  samples." 

"Is  especial  skill  necessary  in  taking  samples  to 
learn  the  average  value  of  a  vein  of  ore?" 

"It  requires  far  greater  expert  skill  to  take  an 
average  sample  of  ore  than  to  make  an  assay.     There 


84  D'MABS  AFEINITY. 

is  where  the  crooked  work  is  done  generally  and  the 
assayer  catches  the  blame.  I  can  take  average  assays 
that  will  vary  anywhere  from  $5.00  to  $50.00  per  ton 
out  of  one  and  the  same  vein,  if  I  understand  the  ore." 

"But  you  say  you  have  had  no  experience?" 

"I  never  saw  a  gold  mine.  But  I  have  seen  and 
learned  something  from  men  who  paid  dearly  for 
thinking  they  had  one,  until  thev  tried  to  get  gold  out 
of  it." 

"Very  true,"  said  Mr.  Vanstine  reflectively.  "I 
think  I  can  give  you  some  work  in  that  line  later.  At 
present  you  can  have  a  position  in  the  engineering 
department.  It  will  pay  $20  per  week  to  begin  with. 
What  do  you  say?" 

"I  shall  gladly  accept  it.  Indeed,  I  surely  regard 
it  a  streak  of  good  fortune." 

D'Mars  went  to  work  next  morning  and  soon 
demonstrated  marked  ability  and  genius.  He  intro- 
duced some  of  the  improvements  in  railway  cars  and 
engines  that  he  had  observed  in  Multo,  which  gave 
him  the  reputation  of  a  great  inventor. 

One  day  passing  down  Desplaines  street,  on  his 
way  to  work,  he  picked  up  a  pocket  book.  He  looked 
up  and  down  the  street.  No  one  was  near.  The 
pocket  book  contained  $5,000  in  large  bills,  apparently 
just  drawn  from  the  bank.  Upon  reaching  the  shop 
he  'phoned  to  the  afternoon  newspapers  to  advertise  a 
"pocket  book  found,  will  be  returned  to  the  owner  upon 
proof  of  property  at  D'Mars." 

A  gentleman  called  the  following  day.  His  proof 
of  ownership  was  satisfactory.  He  found  the  money 
intact  and  he  was  not  only  profuse  in  thanks,  but  hand- 
ed D'Mars  a  $100  bill. 

"You  owe  me  nothing  except  $1.50  I  paid  for  the 
advertisement,"  said  D'Mars. 

"But  such  honesty  and  promptness  as  you  have 
displayed  is  entitled  to  reward.     I  ought  to  give  you 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  85 

$500,  for  my  chances  to  ever  see  this  money  again  were 
less  than  one  in  one  hundred." 

"I  cannot  accept  your  money.  I  have  not  earned 
a  penny  of  it." 

"But  you  must  look  at  it  as  merely  a  trifling 
reward  for  honesty." 

"Honesty  that  requires  a  financial  reward  Is  not 
worth  much.  I  hope  that  mine  is  of  a  higher  order," 
replied  D'Mars  in  a  manner  that  cut  off  further  im- 
portunity. 

"Since  you  decline  reward,  I  can  only  present  you 
my  card.  Should  you  need  aid  at  anv  time,  come  to 
me." 

D'Mars  accepted  the  card  and  thanked  the  gentle- 
man, who  was  superintendent  of  an  extensive  trunk 
railway  and  a  bank  director. 

Weeks  ran  into  months.  D'Mars'  impatience  to 
find  Ethel  gradually  gave  way  to  tranquility.  He 
spent  his  evenings  in  his  room,  reading  and  thinking. 
He  had  resolved  to  perform  his  duty,  keep  his  mind 
right  and  never  indulge  even  one  evil  thought.  He 
was  ver}^  companionable  and  had  already  made  hosts 
of  friends,  who  frequently  invited  him  out  to  make  the 
rounds  and  see  the  sights  of  a  great  city. 

He  never  joined  them.  What  was  Chicago  to  a 
man  who  had  seen  Multo  and  Centropolis  ?  He  oc- 
casionally spent  an  evening  at  the  opera,  which  he  con- 
trasted W'ith  the  operas  he  saw  in  Centropolis.  But 
neither  his  mind  nor  his  heart  were  on  the  play.  His 
dreams  were  of  Ethel.  Now  she  was  the  trusting  child 
on  the  verge  of  the  grave  asking  him  to  always  love 
her.  Again  he  saw  her  in  the  full  vigor  of  beautiful 
w^omanhood,  surrounded  by  admirers.  At  times  she 
was  in  serious  trouble.  He  endeavored  to  meet  her, 
but  something  always  prevented.  Thus  the  time  pass- 
ed by  until  one  day  Mr.  Vanstine  summoned  him  to  his 
office  by  'phone. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"How  would  you  like  to  take  a  long  trip  to  a  for- 
eign land?"  He  asked  D'Mars? 

"I  have  no  ties.  I  am  alone  in  the  world  and  I 
suppose  I  would  be  as  well  off  one  place  as  another." 

Mr.  Vanstine  reflected  for  some  time.  He  finally- 
said: 

"Mr,  D'Mars,  if  you  make  this  journey,  you  shall 
be  intrusted  with  a  most  important  mission.  For 
some  time  past  I  have  desired  to  send  a  man  to  Aus- 
tralia, to  look  after  some  business  interests,  but  I  have 
been  unable  to  find  one  on  whom  I  could  rely  implicitly. 
You  are  comparatively  a  stranger  to  me — and  yet,  you 
are  not  a  stranger.  Some  fifteen  years  ago  I  met  a 
man  in  Spokane.  They  called  him  the  'Hermit  of 
Mt.  St.  Elias,'  He  was  honest  if  ever  an  honest  man 
lived  in  this  world.  He  was  of  great  aid  to  me  in 
locating  some  valuable  mining  claims.  I  found  every 
representation  he  made  me  to  be  true.  I  would  stake 
the  last  dollar  I  have  in  the  world  on  his  word.  I 
have  made  millions  through  his  aid  and  I  have  diligent- 
ly tried  to  find  the  old  man  that  I  might  reward  him, 
but  I  could  get  no  trace  of  him.  I  suppose  the  poor 
old  fellow  is  dead  and  better  off."  After  further 
thought  he  continued : 

"Now  to  come  to  the  point.  This  old  Hermit  visit- 
ed me  last  night  in  a  vision.  You  accompanied  him. 
He  spoke  of  you  by  name  and  gave  you  a  high  recom- 
mendation. I  well  remember  the  dream  for  it  impress- 
ed me." 

"Very  strange,"  remarked  D'Mars.  as  he  endeav- 
ored to  control  his  agitation. 

"It  is  very  strange  and  the  strangest  thing  is  that 
some  irresistible  impulse  urges  me  to  send  you  on  this 
mission." 

"And  the  same  influence  suggests  to  me  that  I 
should  go." 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  87 

"Are  you  a  believer  in  inspiration?"  inquired  Mr. 
Vanstine. 

"I  am.  I  believe  that  all  the  real  joy  of  life — yes 
all  real  knowledge  comes  through  inspiration  and  that 
all  suffering  comes  from  rejecting  good  inspiration  for 
the  gratification  of  pride,  greed,  self." 

"Then  you  believe  that  this  life  should  be  spent  in 
preparation  for  eternity?" 

"Eternity?  In  preparation  for  eternity?"  repeat- 
ed D'AIars,  reflectively. 

"Certainly,  you  believe  in  eternity?"  said  Mr. 
Vanstine  earnestly. 

"Yes,"  replied  D'Mars.  "I  not  only  believe  in 
eternity,  but  I  have  implicit  faith  in  it  and  its  ruler.  I 
know  that  we  are  now  in  eternity,  that  we  have  always 
been  in  eternity  and  that  we  must  ever  remain  in  it. 
Our  present  brief  mortal  existence,  in  a  section  of 
eternity  measured  by  what  we  call  time,  is  only  one  of 
the  innumerable  mortal  existences  through  which  we 
have  passed  in  the  fallen  worlds,  since  we  rebelled 
against  our  Creator.  With  that  unfortunate  rebellion 
came  sin,  disease,  suffering,  mortal  death — eviJ-s  of  our 
own  creation,  all." 

"Then  you  believe  that  this  world  was  intended 
to  be  a  heaven  ?" 

"This  world  has  been  a  heaven.  God  never  creat- 
ed anything  that  was  not  good.  This  world  was  a 
heaven  until  we  made  a  hell  of  it.  When  we  return 
to  the  observance  of  nature's  .laws,  God's  laws,  it  will 
be  a  heaven  again.  But  it  is  unprofitable  to  discuss 
things  that  come  to  each  through  his  own  experience, 
only  those  who  have  had  similar  experiences  can 
understand  one  another." 

"We  should  certainly  do  all  in  our  power  to  make 
this  world  happier.  There  is  certainly  room  for  im- 
provement," said  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"We  should.     And  each  must  begin  with  himself. 


88  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

Happiness  Is  the  tranquility,  peace,  and  ecstasy  of  the 
mind  that  is  not  content  until  it  sees  every  human  being 
in  a  position  to  enjoy  all  that  it  enjoys.  Billy  Dolivar 
works  in  your  shops  for  a  weekly  stipend,  returns 
nightly  to  a  happy  home,  is  free  from  care  and  worry. 
He  is  asleep  the  moment  his  head  touches  the  pillow ; 
he  goes  about  his  work  cheerfully  bubbling  over  with 
good  will  toward  everyone ;  he  experiences  more  real 
enjoyment  than  you  do  in  a  month  with  all  your 
money." 

"Very  true.  Very  true,"  replied  Mr.  Van-^tine. 
"I  have  often  thought  of  that.  But  what's  the  use  of 
talking?  The  millionaire  is  on  the  same  tread-mill 
with  the  humblest  toiler.  He  must  not  miss  a  step 
or  he  will  be  thrown  off  The  more  money,  the  more 
worry.  What  is  he  to  do?  If  he  gets  ofif  another 
takes  his  place.  He  spends  shepiess  nights  studying 
out  schemes,  as  it  appears  to  him,  to  protect  himself 
from  the  cormorants  who  stand  on  all  sides  seeking  an 
opportunity  to  devour  him." 

"I  don't  know,"  said  D'Mars.  "I  suppose  that  all 
we  can  do  is  to  follow  the  little  light  we  have  and  seek 
to  increase  it  until  we  can  find  our  way  out  of  the 
dungeon." 

"It  so  seems,"  replied  Mr.  Vanstine.  "It  is  a 
puzzle.  But  we  are  on  the  treadmill.  Things  must  be 
kept  moving.  Now  to  the  business  in  hand.  This  is 
a  most  important  mission  and  one  that  will  require 
great  tact.  I  own  valuable  gold  mines  in  Australia. 
I  never  saw  them.  The  property  has  been  in  process 
of  development  for  three  years.  It  is  known  as  the 
Eclipse  Mining  Co.  I  own  nearly  all  the  stock.  We 
are  now  ready  to  put  in  a  reducl'on  plant.  I  desire 
a  most  careful  examination  of  the  mines,  the  ore 
bodies,  their  values,  how  much  in  sight,  and  the  best 
process  for  those  ores.  You  can  employ  and  consult 
experts.     I  do  not  know  that  there  is  anything  wrong, 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  89 

but  I  have  heard  suspicious  rumors  and  I  want  to  get 
down  to  the  real  facts.  You  see  this  is  an  important 
errand." 

"I  fully  realize  that,  but  I  am  not  sure  that  I  can 
perform  the  duties  you  require." 

"I  am  of  the  opinion  that  you  can  serve  me.  I 
would  suggest  that  you  secure  a  position  of  some  sort 
at  the  mines,  assistant  engineer  or  the  like.  You 
shall  have  credentials  as  to  your  ability,  etc.,  but  I 
leave  that  all  to  you  when  you  arrive  on  the  ground.  I 
would  suggest,  however,  that  you  are  not  supposed 
to  know  me  at  all.  You  must  be  very  careful  not  to 
arouse  suspicion  that  I  am  investigating." 

Mr.  Vanstine  and  D'Mars  went  through  maps 
and  charts  and  assays  and  soon  he  was  on  his  way 
to  Australia,  well  supplied  with  the  necessary  funds. 


90  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

Tragedy  o]?  the  Clife. 

Nothing  of  note  occurred  during  the  trip.  On 
arriving  at  Sidney,  D'Mars  decided  to  avoid  notice 
as  much  as  possible.  So  he  secured  lodging  at  the 
"Strand,"  once  the  leading  hotel,  but  now  superceded 
by  the  "Bluff  House,"  where  the  swell  promoters  and 
the  "suckers"  hold  out. 

Early  next  morning  he  called  at  the  office  of  the 
Eclipse  Mining  Co.,  introduced  himself  and  applied 
for  a  position  that  would  enable  him  to  learn  the 
practical  details  of  mining.  Superintendent  Smith 
looked  him  over  and  studied  him  for  some  time  as  he 
read  his  credentials.  He  asked  him  a  few  questions 
as  to  compensation,  etc.,  and  then  he  retired  to  an  in- 
ner office.  Soon  he  emerged  with  the  Chief  Engineer 
and  metallurgist,  Mr.  Shell.  After  a  brief  interview 
they  told  him  they  would  take  the  matter  under  ad- 
visement. He  should  call  at  2  o'clock  p.  m.  He 
was  there  promptly  at  the  appointed  hour.  In  ad- 
dition to  Mr.  Smith,  he  found  a  shrewd,  keen  looking 
grey-eyed  old  man,  whom  they  introduced  as  Hard- 
wick,  a  leading  lawyer  of  Sidney.  He  was  a  fine  con- 
versationalist, and  led  D'Mars  into  all  sorts  of  con- 
versation, told  anecdotes  and  unfolded  many  schemes 
to  make  money,  that  came  under  his  observation. 

D'Mars  saw  at  once  that  Hardwick  was  endeav- 
oring to  probe  his  character  to  the  bottom.  As  Hard- 
wick recounted  schemes  on  money  getting,  some  of 
which  were  very  questionable,  D'Mars  became  inter- 
ested and  enthusiastic.  He  saw  clearly  that  Hard- 
wick was  a  smooth  rascal  and  that  he  hoped  to  find 
in  him  a  counterpart.  Hardwick  was  evidently  sat- 
isfied with  him,  for  after  a  few  moments'  private  con- 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  91 

versation   In  the  inner  office  with   Smith  and  Shell, 
Smith  hired  him  on  a  salary  of  $ioo  per  month. 

D'Mars'  first  step  was  to  learn  all  that  he  could 
of  Hard  wick,  Smith  and  Shell,  and  he  early  discover- 
ed that  they  had  detectives  on  his  trail.  He  soon 
learned  that  Hardwick  was  a  wealthy  man  and  sharp 
as  a  steel  trap.  He  was  an  attorney  and  financial 
manager  for  Miss  Dashon,  an  orphan  girl,  about  19 
years  of  age,  and  whose  estate  footed  up  to  about 
$25,000,000.  She  resided  in  the  palatial  Dashon  resi- 
dence on  the  bluff  and  was  under  the  surveillance  of 
her  housekeeper  and  chaperone,  Mrs.  Fordyce,  a 
woman  of  about  forty  years,  whose  cold,  grey  eye 
chilled  one  to  the  finger  nails.  Mrs.  Fordyce  held 
many  secret  conversations  with  Hardwick  and  had  few 
intimate  associates 

Hardwick  dominated  the  city.  Every  one  hated 
and  feared  him.  A  veil  of  secrecy  seemed  to  hang 
over  Hardwick  and  Mrs.  Fordyce.  People  _  shook 
their  heads  ominously  as  they  mentioned  the  singular 
drowning  of  Miss  Dashon's  father  and  mother,  but 
no  one  would  talk.     All  was  enveloped  in  mystery.  ^ 

D'Mars  attended  to  business  strictly.  He  evi- 
denced a  ravenous  appetite  for  knowledge  of  mining, 
which  accounted  for  his  frequent  talks  with  experts. 
He  had  also  worked  into  the  good  graces  of  Hard- 
wick and  the  officers.  Even  amid  his  studies,  he  had 
time  for  social  affairs.  He  had  been  introduced  to 
■Miss  Dashon  and  quickly  saw  that  she  was  inter- 
ested in  him.  Indeed,  she  was  quite  partial  to  him, 
a  thing  that  Hardwick  did  not  approve,  although, 
strange  to  say,  Mrs.  Fordyce  seemed  to  favor  him. 

Social  lines  were  clearly  drawn  and  strictly  ad- 
hered to  in  Sidney,  where  society  consisted  of  the 
wealthy  few  and  the  thousands  of  poor  toilers.  Even 
the  few  favorites  of  fortune  who  constituted  the  se- 
lect circle  of  the  "smart  set"  presented  few  attrac- 


92  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

tions  of  an  elevating  or  refining  cliaracter.  Litera- 
ture and  the  arts  were  neglected.  Fashionable  dis- 
play, glaring  social  entertainments  and  gustatory  revel- 
ing were  indulged  to  the  exclusion  of  the  more  ele- 
vating and  refining  amusements  and  diversions. 

D'Mars,  a  wage  worker  himself,  mingled  to  a 
great  extent  with  the  working  people.  He  counseled 
with  them  in  their  troubles  and  to  the  extent  of  his 
ability  relieved  their  distress,  most  of  which  was  due 
to  their  own  improvidence.  Many  of  them  earned 
good  wages,  while  others  worked  just  enough  to 
maintain  a  mere  existence,  but  many  of  those  who 
earned  good  wages,  were  not  much  better  ofif  in  the 
end  than  the  indolent,  for  no  matter  how  much  they 
earned,  they  spent  it  and  managed  to  keep  in  debt. 
A  few  were  thrifty  and  frugal.  They  invested  their 
money  and  owned  a  few  houses  from  which  they 
derived  an  income. 

One  evening  D'Mars  called  upon  a  poor  fellow 
who  sustained  an  injury  in  the  mines  and  had  been 
laid  up  for  a  few  weeks  for  repairs.  He  had  a 
large  family  and  D'Mars .  occasionally  gave  him  a 
dollar  or  two  to  help  tide  over.  On  this  occasion  he 
noticed  a  young  woman  in  the  kitchen  surrounded  by 
the  wife  and  children.  She  had  a  basket  from  which 
she  gave  them  doughnuts  and  cookies,  which  to  them 
were  dainties.  There  was  nothing  remarkable  about 
her.  She  was  neatly  though  not  richly  gowned,  but 
she  had  a  restful  happy  face,  a  serenity  that  be- 
spoke a  mind  that  was  at  rest.  Her  movements  were 
graceful  and  her  words  were  cheering. 

"She  is  the  angel  of  the  camp,"  said  the  sick  man. 
"She  holds  the  position  of  cashier  in  one  of  our  lead- 
ing stores.  She  is  the  adopted  child  of  Angelo 
Azzette,  superintendent  of  the  Crown  mine  and  a  man 
of  a  great  deal  of  property.  He  is  a  very  intimate 
friend  of  Hardwick  and  his  word  is  law  about  the 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  93 

mines.  They  have  no  children  except  this  girl  and 
a  firm  bond  of  friendship  exists  between  her  and  her 
foster   mother. 

Azzette  is  an  Italian,  and  there  are  rumors  that 
he  was  once  a  member  of  a  band  of  Sicilian  robbers, 
but  no  one  would  dare  breathe  a  word  concerning 
him.  This  girl,  Azel,  devotes  all  her  spare  time  and 
every  penny  she  can  raise  going  about  among  the 
poor,  helping  the  needy  and  comforting  the  sorrow- 
ful. 

D']\Iars  went  home  that  evening  impressed  by 
that  face  and  determined  to  learn  more  of  Azel.  The 
opportunity  came  sooner  than  he  anticipated.  The 
very  next  evening  he  attended  a  church  festival.  It 
was,  of  course,  a  mixed  afifair,  socially.  The  rich  and 
the  poor  mingled  to  a  slight  extent,  the  sisters  and 
daughters  of  w^ealth  maintaining  that  reserve  which 
usually  denotes  the  presence  of  the  better  class.  On 
the  contrary,  those  of  the  lower  plane  met  and  talked 
and  laughed  and  enjoyed  a  good  time  in  their  own 
small  way. 

Miss  Azel  was  there,  the  brightest  of  the  bright 
and  the  most  cheerful  of  the  cheerful.  She  had  in 
her  hand  a  small  book  and  was  soliciting  "chances" 
on  a  gold  watch  for  which  there  were  several  candi- 
dates, and  as  customary  in  such  places,  the  formal- 
ity of  an  introduction  was  dispensed  with,  the  candi- 
dates soliciting  anybody  and  everybody  to  sign  the 
book  and  pay  the  fifty  cents  and  help  the  good  cause. 

In  passing  through  a  quiet  alcove,  D'Mars  and 
Azel  met  face  to  face. 

"Won't  you  sign  my  book?"  I  am  a  candidate 
for  the  gold  watch,"  said  Azel,  almost  without  look- 
ing at  him. 

"Certainly,"  he  said,  as  he  took  the  book  and 
pencil,  and  wrote  the  name  D'Mars  and  returned  the 
book  accompanied  with  the  fifty  cents. 


H  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

"1  have  heard  that  name  before.  It  seems  famil- 
iar to  me,  but  I  can't  recollect  when  I  heard  it.  Have 
you  lived  here  long?"  she  said. 

"I  have  resided  here  only  a  few  weeks,"  replied 
D'Mars. 

"It  must  have  been  a  dream,"  she  added  with  a 
smile  as  she  started  to  pass  on. 

"Do  you  believe  in  dreams?"  inquired  D'Mars, 
in  an  effort  to  prolong  the  conversation. 

"I  do,"  she  replied.  "I  have  my  reasons  for  my 
belief.  Sometimes  I  wonder  which  is  the  reality  and 
which  the  dream. 

"You  are  quite  a  psychologist  and  philosopher," 
said  D'Mars.  "Don't  you  know  that  I  have  arrived 
at  almost  the  same  conclusion,  regarding  dreams,  only 
that  I  have  about  decided  that  what  we  call  dreams 
is  sometimes  more  real  than  what  we  consider  the 
reality  ?" 

"So  you  are  a  dreamer  too,"  she  said  with  a 
smile.  "Well,  we  cannot  devote  much  time  to  that 
subject  now  or  I  shall  not  have  money  enough  to  win 
the  watch." 

"I  hope  you  will  win  it.  You  ought  to,  for  I 
notice  that  you  have  hosts  of  friends,"  said  D'Mars. 

"Yes,  I  have  many  friends,  but  they  are  mostly 
poor  and  can't  help  me  much.  But  what  does  it  mat- 
ter? My  desire  to  win  it  is  prompted  by  the  worst 
qualities  of  human  nature,  ambition  and  selfishness." 

With  a  graceful  bow  and  before  D'Mars  could 
say  a  word,  she  passed  on  and  was  soon  out  of 
sight. 

Turning  to  the  left,  he  encountered  Mrs.  Fordyce 
and  Miss  Dashon  and  another  young  lady.  While  the 
girls  were  holding  an  inquest  over  some  bit  of  fancy 
work,  Mrs.  Fordyce  embraced  the  opportunity  to  ask 
him  if  he  was  "acquainted  with  that  girl." 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  95 

"Never  spoke  with  her  until  now/'  said 
D'Mars. 

"I  should  not  think  you  would  gain  much  from 
her  acquaintance,"   said   Mrs.   Fordyce. 

"Who  is  she?"  inquired  D'Mars. 

"She  is  nobody,"  replied  Mrs.  Fordyce  with  an 
impatient  gesture  mingled  with  scorn.  "She  was  a 
foundling  picked  up  by  the  Azzettes,  the  people  who 
raised  her.  They  have  been  very  kind  to  her.  She 
tries  to  show  off,  but  of  course  she  could  not  be  ad- 
mitted into  society." 

"If  she  is  honest,  respectable  and  intelligent,  she 
is  entitled  to  an  opportunity,"  D'Mars  replied. 

"Generally  speaking,  your  idea  is  right,  but  we 
cannot  afford  to  take  chances  on  the  waifs  of  the 
slums.  They  generally  turn  out  bad  and  already  this 
girl  begins  to  exhibit  depraved  tastes,  as  seen  in  her 
choice  of  the  poorest  and  lowest  people  for  asso- 
ciates." 

D'Mars  felt  like  coming  to  the  rescue  of  Azel 
with  a  sharp  retort,  but  he  bethought  himself  that  he 
was  a  detective  and  detectives  should  be  "long"  on 
ears  and  "short"  on  tongue. 

"Besides  all  this,"  continued  Mrs.  Fordyce,  "she 
has  been  the  heroine  of  a  demorahzing  social  scandal. 
You  have  no  doubt  heard  of  it.  It  occurred  about  two 
years  ago.  Many  people  are  surprised  that  she  has 
the  nerve  to  show  herself  in  any  respectable  society." 

"You  surprise  me,"  said  D'Mars,  "for  she  is 
highly  spoken  of  among  the  miners." 

"The  miners,"  repeated  ]\Irs.  Fordyce  in  disgust, 
"they  would  think  nothing  of  such  an  escapade." 

"What  did  she  do?"  inquired  D'Mars. 

"Well  it  is  a  long  story,  but  I  can  quickly  give 
you  an  idea  of  it.  The  Duke  of  Cronstadt  w'as  here 
and  he  had  an  English  valet  called  Cobden,  who  fell 
desperately  in  love  with  Azel  and  planned  an  elope- 


96  D'MAEB  AFFINITY. 

ment.  They  eloped  to  Melbourne  to  be  married,  the 
Duke  accompaning  them.  Six  P.  M.  was  the  time 
set  for  the  ceremony.  About  five  o'clock  Cobden 
called  at  her  room  in  the  hotel  and  found  the  Duke 
there  and  made  up  his  mind  that  all  was  not  right.  He 
and  the  Duke  had  some  words  over  it  and  Cobden  left 
the  Duke's  employ  and  she  was  turned  out  of  the 
hotel  into  the  streets.  Neither  the  Duke  nor  Cobden 
came  back  here,  but  she  returned." 

"What  is  her  story?"  inquired  D'Mars. 

"Oh,  she  had  a  story,  of  course.  She  claimed  a 
conspiracy.  She  was  given  an  opiate.  The  Duke 
and  Cobden  conspired  against  her.  She  was  innocent 
of  harm  and  all  that  sort  of  folderol  and  the  lower 
classes  here  believe  her  and  threaten  to  lynch  the  Duke 
and  Cobden  should  they  return.  What  else  could  she 
do  but  invent  a  story?" 

At  this  disagreeable  junction  they  were  relieved 
by  Miss  Dashon  who  had  joined  them  and  grabbing 
D'Mars  by  the  arm  said,  "I  am  just  starving  for  ice 
cream." 

"Why  Florence,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Fordyce,  "why 
do  you  persist  in  doing  these  outlandish  things  ?" 

D'Mars  laughingly  responded,  "The  hungry 
surely  have  a  right  to  seek  food.  That  is  a  privilege 
conceded  to  birds  and  fishes,  and  why  should  it  be 
denied  to  woman,  the  cap-sheaf  of  God's  creation 
and  the  crowning  glory  of  man?" 

Florence  and  he  were  soon  seated  at  a  table, 
while  Mrs.  Fordyce,  who  did  not  eat  ice  cream,  con- 
versed with  two  or  three  old  ladies  near  by. 

"I  suppose  they  have  elegant  ice  cream  parlors 
in  New  York,"  said  Florence,  as  she  toyed  with  her 
dish  and  didn't  seem  so  hungry  after  all. 

D'M'ars  portrayed  to  her  in  vivid  colors  the  mag- 
nitude and  grandeur  of  New  York  catering  establish- 
ments and  the  attractions  of  the  bargain  counters. 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  97 

'■'I  should  like  to  travel.  Here  it  is  the  same 
thing:  all  the  time.  The  same  tiresome  old  walks  and 
drives,"  and  she  uttered  a  gentle  sigh.  "Why  should 
we  not  enjoy  life,  when  death  comes,  that  is  the  end 
of  all  things." 

Don't  you  believe  in  immortality — a  hereafter 
where  this  mortal  incumbrance  shall  be  thrown  off  and 
the  real  joys  of  being  shall  begin?"  replied  D'Mars. 

"Oh,  I  suppose  so.  I  don't  know  what  I  believe. 
Who  would  mope  around  through  life  waiting  for  an 
opportunity  to  sit  on  the  edge  of  a  damp  cloud  and 
play  an  old  harp,  probably  out  of  tune?"  she  remarked 
laughingly. 

Miss  Dashon  drew  the  gold  watch.  She  had 
^ve  hundred  and  fifty  votes,  which  appeared  in  a 
check  from  Mr.  Hardwick  for  five  hundred  of  them 
and  the  other  fifty  were  smaller  amounts.  Azel  had 
five  hundred  votes,  all  in  fifty  cent  contributions, 
while  the  other  candidates  had  small  amounts  repre- 
senting only  a  few  votes. 

The  announcement  of  the  vote  was  cheered.  The 
clergyman  came  forward  and  said  that  A'^el  came  so 
near  drawing  the  prize  and  worked  so  faithfully  for  it, 
that  he  would  take  $50  of  the  money  and  buy  a  watch 
for  her  exactly  like  the  watch  won  by  the  popular 
Miss  Dashon. 

"I  don't  need  a  watch  or  any  other  jewel,"  said 
Azel,  but  if  you  will  give  me  the  $50  I  will  distribute 
it  among  the  poor." 

Long  continued  cheers  followed  this  declaration 
from  Azel  and  the  $50  were  promptly  turned  over  to 
her. 

"Did  you  see  the  nerve  of  the  bold  jade?  She 
saw  an  opportunity  to  pose  and  win  applause.  I  pity 
the  poor  that  will  ever  hope  to  see  a  penny  of  the 
money,"  said  IMrs.  Fordyce  in  an  undertone  to  a  fash- 
ionable group  who  stood  around  her. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"Shut  up,  you  jealous  old  Corbine,"  said  a  rugged 
plainly  dressed  woman  who  stood  near.  "There's 
more  warm  honest  blood  in  Azel's  little  finger  than  in 
a  ten  acre  lot  of  the  likes  of  you." 

"You  can  take  the  price  of  my  watch  and  give 
that  to  her  for  the  same  purpose,"  said  Miss  Dashon. 

"Heaven  prosper  such  acts,"  said  the  clergyman, 
and  cheers  greeted  her  on  all  sides,  and  the  incident 
closed. 

D'Mars  had  now  made  sufficient  investigation  of 
the  mines  to  warrant  him  in  the  belief  that  Mr.  Hard- 
wick  was  an  accomplished  villain ;  that  he  had  Smith 
and  Shell  under  his  control,  and  that  they  had  set  a 
trap  to  beat  Mr,  Vanstine  out  of  a  half  million  dollars. 

The  very  day  that  D'Mars  began  preparing  his 
report  of  the  mining  situation  for  Mr.  Vanstine,  an 
event  occurred  that  shocked  and  startled  the  entire 
community.  It  was  the  murder  of  Mrs.  Fordyce. 
She  was  found  dead  at  the  foot  of  Cedar  Clifif,  an  al- 
most perpendicular  rock  two  hundred  and  thirty-five 
feet  high  and  only  a  short  distance  from  the  Dashon 
residence.  Mrs.  Fordyce  frequently  visited  the  cliff 
and  sat  for  hours  on  one  of  the  rustic  seats  near  the 
brink.  The  accident  and  suicide  theories  were  first 
advanced  by  the  gossips,  but  these  were  quickly 
abandoned  when  the  coroner  reported  that  a  bit  of 
fringe  torn  from  some  garment  was  found  clutched 
in  her  inanimate  hand. 

That  Mrs.  Fordyce  was  unpopular  and  had  hosts 
of  enemies  was  conceded,  but  the  detectives  sought  a 
motive.  Who  would  have  a  motive  in  getting  Mrs. 
Fordyce  out  of  the  way?  was  the  question. 

It  was  whispered  that  Hardwick  and  Mrs.  For- 
dyce were  not  harmonious.  Hardwick  had  a  wild  and 
worthless  son  away  at  college,  whom  he  wished  to 
marry  Miss  Dashon.  Mrs.  Fordyce  opposed  the 
match.     She  feared  that  the*  dominance  of  the  Hard- 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  S6 

wicks  would  finally  oust  her  from  her  good  position. 
She  desired  a  husband  for  Miss  Dashon  whom  she 
could  manage  and  over  whom  Hardwick  would  have 
no  influence.  This  theory  would  point  toward  Hard- 
wick as  interested  in  the  removal  of  Mrs.  Fordyce. 

But  another  theory  was  industriously  work- 
ed up.  It  was  that  Azel  was  desperately  in  love  with 
D'Mars  and  that  Mrs.  Fordyce  sought  to  capture  him 
for  Miss  Dashon,  believing  that  she  could  control  him. 
Then  there  was  the  bit  of  fringe,  evidently  torn  from 
a  woman's  garment,  found  in  the  grasp  of  the  mur- 
dered woman. 

Two  days  later  came  a  sensation  that  both  startled 
and  stunned  the  entire  public.  Azel  was  missing, 
she  had  suddenly  disappeared.  The  Azzette  prem- 
ises were  searched.  The  garment  from  which  the  tell- 
tale fringe  had  been  torn  was  found  concealed  in  an 
outhouse  at  the  Azzette  residence.  The  garment  be- 
longed to  Azel.  She  had  worn  it  within  a  few  days. 
The  chain  of  evidence  was  complete,  not  a  link  miss- 
ing. Azel  was  even  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  the  diff 
about  the  time  the  murder  was  committed.  A  bitter 
feeling  had  always  existed  between  her  and  Mrs.  For- 
dyce. Azel  knew  that  Mrs.  Fordyce  had  been  poison- 
ing D'Mars'  mind  against  her.  She  was  undoubtedly 
the  murderess. 

D'Mars'  feelings  at  this  time  can  scarcely  be  im- 
agined. Here  he  was,  held  up  as  the  innocent  cause 
of  a  horrible  crime.  He  knew  that  Azel  was  innocent, 
that  she  was  incapable  of  such  a  crime.  He  believed 
that  a  foul  conspiracy  existed.  What  and  who  was 
at  the  bottom'  of  it  ?  That  was  the  mystery  that  puz- 
zled him. 

The  press  and  the  "better  classes"  were  indignant 
over  the  theory  that  Hardwick  might  be  interested  in 
.the  removal  of  Mrs.  Fordyce.  Learned  articles 
appeared  on  the  potencv  of  hereditv  and  the  phases 


ioO  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

of  evil  that  had  suddenl}^  developed  in  the  character 
of  v^raifs,  whose  parentage  was  unknown.  Perhaps 
they  would  develop  into  criminals,  maybe  murderers. 
Azel  had  been  acting  very  curiously  of  late.  She 
seemed  to  be  affected  by  melancholia,  shunned  society, 
seemed  fond  of  associating  with  the  lower  classes,  and 
the  hope  was  expressed  that  thorough  investigation 
would  show  that  her  mind  was  unbalanced  and  that 
she  would  thus  escape  the  death  penalty  and  be  cared 
for  in  an  asylum.  Hardwick  shared  in  this  humanitar- 
ian view  of  the  case. 

On  the  other  hand,  Azel  had  hundreds  of  defend- 
ers. They  insisted  that  she  was  innocent,  but  in  view 
of  the  evidence  they  had  but  little  ground  upon  which 
to  base  an  argument  or  even  a  hope.  The  press  de- 
manded that  a  most  diligent  search  be  made  for  Azel. 
Ten  dectetives  were  very  busy  for  a  while  running 
down  all  sorts  of  clues,  but  Azel  was  not  found  and  the 
"nine  days'  wonder"  soon  passed  into  the  tomb  of  for- 
getfulness. 


D'MAIiS  AFFINITY.  101 

CHAPTER  XII. 

D'Mars'   Discovery. 

D'Mars  reported  the  mining  situation  to  Mr.  Van- 
stine.  The  result  was  that  Smith,  Shell  and  Hardwick 
were  summarily  disposed  of  and  D'Mars  put  in 
charge.  In  addition  to  these  changes,  Mr.  Vanstine 
ofifered  the  entire  property  to  D'Mars  for  $250,000. 
D'Mars  bonded  the  mines  for  this  amount,  paid  the 
money  over  to  Mr.  Vanstine  and  took  complete  charge 
himself. 

He  studied  the  geographical  and  topographical 
location  of  the  mines  carefully  and  soon  concluded 
that  these  mines  were  located  upon  the  site  of  the 
ancient  city  of  Multo,  in  the  submerged  land  of 
Pluto.  He  had  the  geographical  formation  carefully 
inspected  by  a  famous  archaeologist  who  was  renowned 
for  his  Imowlege  of  prehistoric  antiquities  and  who 
inspected  the  formations  with  great  care.  The  var- 
ious discordant  ingredients  which  he  found  in  the 
rocks,  all  of  which  owed  their  present  formation  and 
location  to  igneous  agencies,  puzzled  him  at  first,  until 
D'Mars  presented  his  theory  that  it  was  the  site  of 
an  ancient  city. 

"I  thought  of  that  several  times,"  said  the  expert, 
but  this  formation  is  more  than  40,000  years  old.  Be- 
sides, the  city  that  covered  so  extensive  an  area  as  this 
must  have  contained  many  millions  of  people.  So  ex- 
tensive a  city  upon  an  island  that  exhibits  so  little 
other  evidence  of  mineral  wealth  seems  too  absurd, 
to  present  as  a  reasonable  theory." 

D'Mars  said  nothing  concerning  his  knowledge 
of  the  matter,  but  requested  the  expert  to  locate  as 
nearly  as  possible  the  spot  where  the  formation  indi- 


102  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

cated  the  most  extensive  structure  that  might  hare 
been  the  business  center  of  a  large  city. 

The  archaeologist  said  that  the  presence  of  large 
quantities  of  chemicals  such  as  acids  and  arsenic  and 
sulphur  in  the  ore,  indicated  the  sites  of  large  drug 
houses,  while  rich  deposits  of  lead,  copper  and  iron  in 
the  form  of  stringers  were  indications  of  a  place 
where  large  buildings  once  stood.  All  these  surface 
minerals,  however,  while  in  a  state  of  fusion  might 
have  been  shifted  in  the  upheavel  from  their  original 
location,  he  suggested.  This  seemed  quite  reasonable 
to  D'Mars  and  the  investigation  proceeded. 

One  day  the  expert  came  to  him  wreathed  in 
smiles.  "I  am  now  certain  that  I  have  found  the  site 
of  what  must  have  been  an  enormous  structure. 
Clearly  outlined  in  solid  quartz,"  he  said,  "1  find  a  cross 
section  of  a  column  twelve  feet  in  diameter  and  of  as 
yet  unknown  length.  It  is  composed  of  a  sort  of  rock 
now  unknown.  It  will  not  fuse  at  any  ordinary  heat. 
It  has  survived  the  volcanic  heat  that  fused  the  rocks 
and  metals  that  surrounded  it." 

D'Mars  had  a  section  of  the  column  stripped  and 
at  once  recognized  it  as  one  of  the  massive  columns 
of  the  temple  of  Jupiter.  Having  well  in  mind  the 
geography  of  the  city  of  Multo  he  was  now  able  to 
locate  the  sub-treasury  and  the  leading  banks.  He 
knew  that  in  the  federal  treasury  and  banks  was  hoard- 
ed upwards  of  Five  Thousand  Millions  of  Dollars, 
gold  and  silver,  coin  and  bullion.  He  knew  that  there 
were  millions  of  dollars  gold  and  silver  plate  and 
jewels  in  Cleo's  Porphyry  palace,  while  in  his  own 
palace  there  was  stored  values  to  the  amount  of  $2,000- 
000  in  gold. 

He  kept  his  own  counsel  and  made  a  map  of  that 
portion  of  the  city  of  Multo  from  memory.  Of  course, 
to  some  extent,  he  had  to  guess  at  the  distance,  but  as 
the   city   of   Multo   was   regularly   laid   out   with   the 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  103 

points  of  the  compass,  he  could,  after  all,  reach 
some  accuracy  in  direction.  Taking  the  temple  as  a 
center  and  his  maps  of  Multo  as  a  guide,  he  first 
located  the  sub-treasury  and  ordered  a  four  compart- 
ment shaft  driven  at  that  point.  He  next  located  the 
Porphyry  palace  and  ordered  another  shaft  driven  at 
that  point.  He  also,  located  his  own  palace,  nearly  a 
mile  from  the  temple  and  there  another  shaft  was 
ordered.  As  he  perfected  his  map  of  Mtulto,  he  dis- 
covered that  the  locality  which  had  already  been  de- 
veloped was  four  miles  from  the  business  center  of 
Multo,  in  the  aristocratic  part  of  the  city.  He  cal- 
culated that  the  nuggets  and  scattered  gold  they  had 
discovered  was  produced  by  the  fusing  of  the  plate, 
coin  and  jewels  in  private  palaces. 

As  work  on  these  shafts  proceeded,  the  expert 
examined  everything  discovered.  At  the  main  shaft 
over  the  federal  treasury  building,  the  first  evidences 
of  success  were  found.  At  a  depth  of  96  feet  a  vein 
of  rich  gold  bearing  quartz  was  struck.  Geologists, 
metallurgists  and  mining  experts,  who  looked  and 
laughed  at  D'Mars'  "wild  and  whimsical"  scheme  of 
prospecting,  became  interested.  They  decided  that  the 
quartz  found  indicated  a  "rich  find,"  but  it  was  not  a 
true  fissure  vein.  It  might  be  a  lenz,  or  an  arm,  or 
a  mere  overflow.  It  dipped  west.  Some  thought  it 
led  to  the  mother  lode.  Others  were  of  the  opinion 
that  it  was  a  throw  and  that  the  fissure  was  east. 
This  theory  was  strengthened  by  the  dips  of  the  for- 
mation on  the  eastern  slope.  There  was  no  agreement 
among  the  experts,  so  work  on  the  shaft  proceeded 
downward. 

At  a  depth  of  125  feet,  another  vein  of  very  rich 
quartz  was  cut.  It  was  a  fissure  vein  almost  perpen- 
dicular, dipping  slightly  north  tow^ard  the  temple.  It 
was  twelve  feet  thick  and  assayed  $74  gold  to  the  ton 
of  ore. 


104  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

This  was  enough.  Speculation  ran  wild.  D'Mars 
was  offered  $10,000,000  for  the  mine.  Fabulous 
prices  were  offered  for  claims  on  the  drive  of  the  vein, 
but  he  declined  to  consider  any  of  the  offers. 

He  now^  decided  to  follow  this  vein  and  proceed 
with  the  shaft  to  a  depth  of  200  feet  before  he  drove 
any  cross  cuts  or  tunnels.  The  ore  was  a  splendid 
free  milling-  proposition,  although  it  contained  more 
silver  and  copper  and  a  trace  of  lead.  At  a  depth  of 
200  feet  no  material  change  appeared  in  the  quartz. 
It  carried  its  values,  though  the  silver  and  copper  in- 
creased. 

At  this  depth,  tunnels  were  now  started  on  the 
drive  of  the  vein,  while  cross  cuts  were  also  made  in 
opposite  directions,  giving  the  developement  a  star 
shape,  while  the  shaft  was  continued  downward. 

While  this  work  proceeded,  a  rich  shute  was  dis- 
covered in  the  shaft  at  the  Porphyry  Palace  tunnel, 
which  D'Mars  named  the  "Cleo."  Many  rich  nuggets 
were  found  in  the  soft  formation  and  the  experts  de- 
clared that  all  indications  pointed  to  an  extremely 
rich  mine.  Nothing  was  yet  discovered  at  the  D'Mars 
shaft,  which  he  abandoned,  he  having  concluded  that 
he  had  made  a  mistake  in  the  location  of  the  Castle. 

Excitement  had  now  reached  fever  heat.  All  the 
land  within  five  miles  of  the  Multo  shaft  was  taken 
up  by  speculators.  Capitalists  came  from  all  parts  of 
the  world  in  response  to  the  cablegrams  sent  out  by 
the  promoters.  Expert  real  estate  boomers  came  in 
droves.  D'Mars  took  no  part  in  the  speculation.  He 
had  two  miles  square,  about  2,500  acres,  in  the  business 
center  of  Multo.  He  knew  this  was  the  original  lo- 
ccation  of  the  gold.  In  the  volcanic  eruption  and  the 
earthquake,  some  of  it  might  have  shifted  out  of  this 
center  but  he  knew  that  if  such  were  the  case,  to  find 
it  would  be  a  mere  accident.  To  all  inquiries  for  an 
opinion  he  gave  the  one  answer,  that  he  did  not  believe 


B'MARS  AFFINITY.  105 

gold  would  be  found  outside  his  land  In  paying  quan- 
tities. When  asked  how  he  came  to  locate  his  shafts 
in  places  where  there  were  no  surface  indications,  he 
shook  his  head,  smiled  and  said  he  was  following  out 
the  inspiration  of  a  dream ;  and  he  had  reason  to 
believe  that  there  was  little  gold  anywhere  else  in  that 
section  of  the  country. 

"D'Mars  is  a  puzzle,"  said  one  of  the  old  miners. 
"He  came  here  within  a  year  and  has  discovered  the 
richest  mines  in  the  world." 

At  the  end  of  one  year's  development,  D'Mars 
employed  500  miners  and  was  positive  he  had  tapped 
the  business  center  of  the  ancient  city  of  Multo,  and 
that  the  bulk  of  the  precious  metals  hoarded  in  that 
city  were  his.  The  value  was  estimated  at  from  three 
to  five  billion  dollars.  If  he  secured  only  half  or  a 
third  he  would  have  enough  for  any  ordinary  pur- 
pose. 

The  promoters  were  engineering  the  most  co- 
lossal boom  ever  seen  in  a  mining  camp.  They  had 
two  or  three  score  mining  companies  organized  on  an 
average  capitalization  of  $5,000,000  each.  They  start- 
ed business  by  putting  small  blocks  of  stock  on  the 
market  which  they  sold  for  twenty  cents  a  share,  for 
the  purpose  of  letting  in  "a  few  friends"  on  the 
"ground  floor,"  and  putting  on  development. 

A  score  of  these  companies  started  shafts.  Near- 
ly all  found  float  gold  and  free  milling  quartz,  a 
natural  result  of  the  violent  upheaval.  As  the  shaft 
went  down  the  shares  of  stock  went  up.  Many  of 
these  pocket  finds  were  very  rich.  Assays  from  se- 
lected samples  ran  high.  As  each  new  pocket  vfas 
discovered  and  a  high  assay  made,  the  stock  was  ad- 
vanced five  cents  and  sometimes  ten  cents  per  share. 
Announcements  were  made  from  time  to  time  by  the 
promotors  that  the  shaft  was  now  near  the  rich  vein. 
A   few   more  shares   would  be  sold  for  seventy-five 


106  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

cents.  It  would  go  to  one  dollar  and  probably  two 
dollars,  or  even  higher.  All  depended  upon  the  value 
of  the  quartz  and  the  thickness  of  the  vein.  Those 
who  had  purchased  stock  at  twenty  cents  figured  that 
they  had  already  made  250  pe*"  cent,  when  it  advanced 
to  seventy-five  and  they  would  not  sell  a  share  below 
$1.  Why  should  they?  In  a  month  it  might  go  to  $2 
and  no  one  could  tell  where  it  would  land,  perhaps  at 
$500  per  share. 

When  D'Mars  was  certain  beyond  all  question  that 
his  mining  venture  promised  success,  he  set  about 
carrying  out  his  cherished  idea  of  doing  something 
for  labor.  To  aid  humanity  by  helping  the  poor  and 
dependent  to  help  themselves  was  his  mission  in  life. 
He  had  seen  the  effects  and  the  final  outcome  of  con- 
centrated wealth  and  degraded  poverty  in  the  proud 
cities  of  Multo  and  Centropolis.  Multo  was  as  com- 
pletely efiFaced  as  though  it  had  never  been.  Its  boast- 
ed treasure  of  gold  and  jewels  was  known  only  to  the 
angels.  Satan  himself  was  not  permitted  to  remember 
it.  D'Mars  knew  that  he  himself  had  been  there  long 
years  ago.  He  had  perished  in  the  zenith  of  his  iniquity 
in  the  midst  of  an  unholy  banquet.  Here  he  was  now 
45,000  years  later,  the  ghoul  of  his  own  grave-yard, 
scattering  the  ashes  of  his  former  mortal  body  to  the 
wind,  in  the  search  for  lost  treasure.  He  would  now 
put  it  to  some  good  use.  He  would  begin,  he  thought, 
by  enabling  all  employes  to  participate  in  the  full 
profits  of  their  toil. 

Imbued  with  these  and  like  exalted  ideas,  he  pro- 
posed a  plan  of  co-operation.  He  would  organize  a 
co-operative  mining  company,  on  the  Multo  mines. 
The  capital  stock  should  be  $25,000,000.  He  would 
distribute  $5,000,000  of  this  stock  among  the  1,000 
miners  he  would  soon  employ,  on  a  basis  of  twenty 
cents  per  share.     It  would  average   2,500  shares  to 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  107 

each  miner  and  would  cost  the  purchaser  only  $500. 
They  oould  pay  out  for  it  in  installments  that  would  be 
easily  met.  They  were  earning  good  wages.  This 
stock  would  soon  earn  10  per  cent  dividends.  Here 
Vvfould  be  an  extra  income  of  $250  annually,  to  each 
worker.  After  the  stock  paid  dividends  which  would 
be  soon,  it  would  sell  for  par,  possibly  a  premium. 

D'Mars  presented  his  plan  to  a  few  of  the  miners 
as  he  happened  to  meet  them.  It  seemed  to  meet  gen- 
eral approval.  They  called  a  meeting  to  consider  it. 
The  mine  superintendent,  who  always  took  great  in- 
terest in  the  welfare  of  the  workers  presented  the  plan 
of  00-operation  to  the  assembled  miners.  They  asked 
many  questions  and  for  an  hour  discussed  it  among 
themselves. 

There  was  considerable  diversity  of  opinion. 
Some  favored  the  plan,  others  were  in  doubt,  and  a 
few  opposed  it. 

"The  capitalization  is  entirely  too  high,"  said  an 
active  man,  who  seemed  to  exert  a  good  deal  of  influ- 
ence. "Here  is  a  capitalization  of  $25,000,000.  This 
is  a  prospect,  nothing  more.  We  have  seen  a  good 
many  prospects  before.  D'Mars  nor  anyone  else  knows 
anything  about  the  value  of  this  property.  It  is  a  pig 
in  a  poke  and  I  for  one  would  not  go  into  it." 

"But  D'Mars  has  an  offer  of  $10,000,000  for  this 
property.  That  would  put  the  stock  on  a  forty  cent 
basis  to  begin  with,"  said  the  foreman. 

"We  don't  know  whether  he  has  any  such  offer 
or  not.     That's  his  story,"  said  a  bright  young  man. 

"You  have  no  right  to  question  D'M'ars'  word 
after  all  the  kindness  he  has  shown  us,"  said  an  old 
miner.  "You  can  count  me  as  one  that  will  take  a 
block  of  the  stock.  I  have  been  mining  now  thirty 
years  and  haven't  a  dollar.  But  I  will  take  this  stock 
and  pay  for  it  out  of  my  wagres." 


108  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

A  sage  looking  individual  who  always  took  an 
active  part  in  politics  now  arose  and  in  grave  meas- 
ured tones,  said : 

"Genitlemen,  I  have  been  a  close  observer  of  such 
speculation  as  is  proposed  here.  My  advice  to  you 
is  to  beware,  B-e-w-a-r-e.  It  is  a  good  deal  like  the 
partnership  between  the  lion  and  the  cow.  You  would 
have  5,000,000  shares  and  he  would  have  20,000,000. 
Where  would  you  be  ?  What  power  would  you  have  ? 
This  block  of  stock  would  cost  you  $1,000,000.  You 
would  furnish  D'Mars  the  money  to  develop  his  mines 
and  for  every  dollar  you  would  get  in  dividends  he 
would  gdt  four.     Fine  proposition,  isn't  it?     Beware." 

"There  is  another  feature  of  this  tempting  offer 
that  you  have  not  thought  of  yet,"  said  an  old  walking 
delegate,  who  up  to  this  time  had  not  spoken.  "When 
you  ask  an  advance  of  wages  this  superintendent  will 
say  to  you,  you  are  stockholders,  you  are  working  for 
yourselves.  You  are  sharers  in  the  profits  of  your 
work ;  what  you  fail  to  get  in  wages  you  get  in  divi- 
dends. In  case  we  want  to  go  on  a  strike  there  will 
bj  a  division  among  us.  Some  will  think  that  because 
they  own  a  measly  little  dab  of  stock  in  the  company, 
that  they  are  working  for  themselves  and  refu'se  to  go 
out.  I  regard  it  as  a  shrewd  scheme  to  destroy  the 
union." 

This  speech  stirred  the  assembled  miners  up  to  a 
high  pitch  of  excitement.  A  dozen  tried  to  get  the 
floor  and  all  talked  among  themselves.  Finally,  order 
was  restored  and  one  of  the  claimants  for  the  floor 
was  recognized  by  the  chairman.     He  said : 

"I  have  been  a  miner  for  35  years  and  I'm  one 
now  and  always  expect  to  be  a  miner.  I  have  g'one  on 
strike  and  walked  the  streets  for  months  while  my 
family  suffered  to  sustain  the  union.  I  have  paid 
hundreds   of   dollars   out   of  my   wages  to   support 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  109 

strikes.  Many  of  you  have  done  the  same  thing. 
Now,  what  have  we  to  show  for  it  ?  We  have  derived 
benefits  from  organization.  We  have  had  higher 
wages  and  better  mining  conditions.  That  is 
true.  But  I  now  ask  you  candidly,  what  have  we  as 
a  body  of  men  to  show  for  our  toil?  I  have  long 
believed  that  the  solution  of  the  issue  between  labor 
and  capital  is  co-operation — co-operation  that  will 
enable  each  workingman  to  become  his  own  employer, 
his  own  capitalist.  Something  has  been  said  here 
about  the  miners  supplying  capital  for  D'Mars.  You 
all  know  that  D'Mars  needs  no  such  aid.  He  has 
millions  at  his  command.  I  believe  that  he  has  made 
us  this  generous  offer  in  order  to  help  us  help  our" 
selves.  I  believe  that  if  we  accept  it  in  the  proper 
spirit,  he  will  do  still  more  for  us.  I  believe  he  will 
give  us  an  opportunity  to  acquire,  own,  and  control 
the  entire  mines.  I  for  one  shall  accept  this  offer 
now." 

This  speech  was  received  with  cheers,  groans, 
hisses  and,  on  the  part  of  some,  silence.  They  were 
thinking.  After  a  good  deal  of  discussion  on  these 
lines  a  committee  was  appointed  by  the  chair,  to  confer 
with  D'Mars  and  report  to  an  adjourned  meeting  a 
week  later. 

The  proposition  was  discussed  during  the  week 
pro  and  con.  It  had  friends  and  opponents  in  all 
classes.  The  business  public  generally  opposed  it. 
They  reasoned  that  if  the  miners  took  up  this  propo- 
sition and  succeeded  they  would  not  stop  there.  They 
v.'ould  establish  a  co-operative  supply  store.  By  giv- 
ing it  their  own  trade  they  could  make  it  profitable. 
This  would  injure  business.  It  tended  to  socialism 
and  would  finally  be  an  end  to  enterprise. 

The  boomers,  speculators  and  promoters  also 
opposed  the  "scheme."  as  thev  termed  it,  and  in  order 


110  D'MABS  AFFINITY 

to  defeaJt  it  they  made  all  sorts  of  propositions,  offer- 
ing blocks  of  stock  to  their  employees  at  20,  10  and 
often  five  cents  a  share. 

When  the  miners  met  again  the  committee  report- 
ed that  it  was  unable  to  agree,  and  suggested  that  the 
matter  be  dropped.  This  report  was  received  with 
mixed  cheers  and  groans. 

At  this  juncture,  D'Mars  himself  entered  the  hall. 
He  was  received  with  prolonged  cheers  and  those  who 
had  said  the  bitterest  things  against  him  at  the  former 
meeting  were  the  first  to  rush  up  and  take  his  hand. 

He  explained  to  them  his  proposition.  It  was 
meant  to  help  the  workers  help  themselves.  He  was 
sorry  that  it  had  caused  division  in  their  ranks.  He 
had  no  desire  to  interfere  with  their  union.  He  would 
always  pay  the  highest  wages  going.  Whatever 
wage  scale  the  union  presented,  he  would  be  the  first 
to  sign.     There  would  be  no  strike.       (Loud  cheers.) 

He  went  on  to  say  that  he  had  long  cherished 
the  hope  that  the  unseemly  and  unchristian  and  even 
barbarous  contest  between  capital  and  labor  would  be 
ended.  He  saw  no  solution  except  for  labor  to  become 
its  own  capitalist,  its  own  emiployer,  its  own  boss,  on 
the  co-operative  plan.  Prejudice,  suspicion  ,  envy, 
selfishness,  were  the  stumWing  blocks  to  labor's  pro- 
gress. Co-operation  upon  high  moral  lines  would 
weed  out  these  evils.  With  learning  came  higher 
ideals  and  with  co'operation  came  the  means  to  gratify 
them.  He  suggested  that  those  who  approved  this 
plan  and  desired  to  take  stock  should  do  so.  Those 
who  could  not  agree  need  not  take  it.  There  would 
be  no  discrimination.  All  would  be  treated  fairly, 
whether  they  joined  in  co-operation  or  not.  (Pro- 
longed cheers.) 

Of  the  500  men  in  D'Mars  employ,  200  suscriljed 
for  stock.     Within  three  months    the    employes    had 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  Ill 

increased  to  i,ooo.  About  500  now  owned  stock,  but 
there  was  a  strong  sentiment  im  the  camp  against  the 
co-operative  miners.  Deprecatory  remarks  were  made 
by  l2ieir  companions  in  their  hearing. 

"He  thinks  he  is  a  capitahst  now,"  and  "He's 
getting  his  head  swelled,"  and  "Did  you  see  him  try 
to  strut  like  D'Mars  ?"  and  "Wonder  how  he  manages 
to  live  on  camp  grub,"  and  "Did  you  notice  that 
these  imaginary  capitalists  are  getting  to  look  very 
wise,"  and  "Oh,  no,  he  was  not  there.  He  belongs  to 
the  capitalistic  class  now."  Such  were  the  venomous 
remarks  indulged  by  the  opponents  of  co-operation. 

When  they  met  a  co-operator  they  would  jolly 
him  with,  "How  much  dividends  do  you  get?"  and 
"What  will  you  take  for  your  stock?"  and  "Can  we 
have  a  job  when  you  get  to  own  the  mine?"  and  "I 
hear  that  the  big  vein  is  pinching  out.  You  better 
sell  while  you  can."  This  pestilential  annoyance  had 
the  desired  effect  upon  a  majority  of  the  co-operators 
who  disposed  of  their  stock  for  the  sake  of  peace.  A 
few  held  out  and  braced  the  stomi  of  ridicule,  but  at 
the  close  of  the  year  there  were  only  thirty-five  stock- 
holders left  among  the  miners. 


112  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

A  Promoter's  Boom. 

At  the  end  of  eighteen  months  from  the  opening 
of  the  new  mines  the  reduction  plant  was  completed 
and  50,000  tons  of  ore  worth  $60  per  ton  was  in  the 
stopes  ready  to  be  conveyed  to  the  stamp  mill  and  the 
smelter.  At  the  end  of  two  years  the  net  product  of 
gold  after  paying  for  the  machinery  and  developement 
and  providing  a  betterment  fund  for  additional 
machinery  and  development  was  sufficient  to  pay  a 
dividend  of  eight  per  cent  on  the  capital  stock.  Each 
holder  of  2,500  shares  received  $200  dividends.  Stock 
advanced  to  $1.50.  The  co-operators  who  still  had 
stock  could  pay  out  for  it  with  dividends,  or  they  could 
sell  their  block  of  2,500  shares  for  $3,750, 

It  was  now  the  co-operators'  turn  to  become 
funny.  Occasionally  they  asked  their  former  critics 
how  much  they  would  give  for  a  few  shares. 

The  leaders  of  the  opponents  now  became  angry. 
They  were  very  bitter  against  D'Mars  as  men  always 
are  against  those  wihom  they  slander  and  vainly  try 
to  injure.  In  their  bitterness  they  tried  to  get  up  a 
strike  for  advance  of  25  per  cent,  on  wages  and  short- 
er hours. 

Having  learned  that  D'Mars  would  concede  that, 
they  increased  their  demand  to  fifty  per  cent. 

The  other  mining  companies  opposed  any  increase 
of  wages.  They  said  that  the  highest  wages  ever  paid 
in  that  country  were  now  paid.  And  if  any  increase 
were  demanded,  they  would  all  shut  down  as  they 
were  running  at  a  loss  now. 

This  sihut-down  would  throw  7,000  miners  out  of 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  113 

work.    Tlhe  result  was  tliat  the  union  voted  down  the 
demand  for  an  increase  of  wages. 

D'Mars  saw  that  a  majority  of  the  workers  were 
not  yet  educated  up  to  co-operation,  so  he  dropped  all 
further  attempts  and  came  forward  with  a  voluntary 
advance  of  25  per  cent,  on  the  wages  in  his  mines. 
Things  now  became  so  hot  for  the  opponents  of  the  co- 
operators  and  the  strike  promoters  at  the  D'Mars 
mines  that  they  were  forced  by  their  companions  to 
seek  work  elsewhere. 

There  were  now  3,000  employees  in  the  D'Mars 
mines.  They  studied  co-operation  and  soon  all  were 
convinced.  So  they  held  a  meeting  and  decided  to  ask 
D'Mars  to  let  each  of  them  have  a  block  of  2,500 
shares  for  fifty  cents  a  share  on  the  installment  plan  as 
he  had  offered  the  same  stock  previously  at  twenty 
cents.  They  sent  for  D'Mars,  who  promptly  respond- 
ed. He  was  greeted  with  prolonged  cheers  upon  en- 
tering the  hall.    To  their  proposition  he  replied : 

"I  am  glad  to  know  that  you  are  all  converted  to 
co-operation.  Later  developments  in  the  mines  show 
that  this  stock  which  you  ask  for  fifty  cents  is  worth 
$2.00.  The  ore  now  in  sight  makes  it  worth  that,  but 
what  I  know  enables  me  to  say  that  every  share  of 
this  stock  will  be  worth  $5.00.  Within  ten  years  I  am 
sure  $1,000,000,000  will  be  taken  from  these  mines. 
We  have  tapped  the  mother  lode.  I  know  not  how 
deep  we  must  go  to  get  it  all.  But  that  does  not  matter 
much,  so  long  as  it  is  there. 

"Now,  my  friends,  you  have  come  at  the  eleventh 
hour.  The  scripture  shall  be  fulfilled.  You  shall  have 
the  full  day's  pay.  You  shall  receive  the  2,500  shares 
at  the  original  price,  twenty  cents,  and  on  the  same 
terms.  But  I  am  going  to  make  some  additional  scrip- 
ture, just  for  this  occasion.  The  original  text,  which 
applies  to  spiritual  things  only,  shall  not  be  changed. 


114  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

To  the  holdings  of  the  noble  thirty-five,  who  came  at 
the  first  call  and  stood  the  brunt  of  the  day,  who  en- 
dured ridicule  and  abuse  for  the  sake  of  a  prinicple, 
shall  be  added  ten  fold.  They  shall  have  their  2,500 
shares  increased  to  25,000  at  the  same  price.  The  div- 
idends which  this  stock  shall  draw  will  meet  the  pay- 
ments in  two  years  and  some  to  spare." 

The  applause  that  greeted  this  declaration  was 
deafening.  It  seemed  that  it  would  never  end.  When 
order  was  restored  D'Miars  concluded : 

"I  see  this  makes  you  happy.  But  there  is  other 
happiness  far  more  entrancing  and  enduring  than  the 
joy  which  material  fortune  brings.  It  comes  through 
the  true  spirit  of  co-operation.  I  would  not  exchange 
it  for  all  the  gold  in  the  world.  I  hope  you  will  seek 
it.  Each  must  seek  and  find  it  for  himself.  It  comes 
through  making  others  happy.  But  I  did  not  come 
to  preach  to  you.  You  are  on  the  right  track.  Keep 
up  the  good  work." 

Another  outburst  of  cheers  greeted  these  remarks 
and  continued  long  after  D'Mars  had  left  the  hall. 

Soon  after  D'Mars  had  made  the  co-operative 
stock  distribution  among  his  three  thousand  miners, 
which  was  in  reality  a  gift  to  them  amounting  to  $8,- 
375,000  a  marked  change  came  over  the  camp.  Great 
improvements  were  noted  in  the  minei"s'  homes.  They 
lived  better,  dressed  more  richly,  spent  money  more 
freely.  Many  sold  their  stock  and  engaged  in  business, 
or  speculation,  while  others  drank  and  sp'Cnt  the  money 
like  lords.  Some  put  their  stock  up  as  collateral  or 
borrowed  money  and  bought  carpets,  upholstered 
furniture,  pianos  and  organs.  One  miner  paid  $300 
for  a  pair  of  hunting  dogs  and  $120  for  a  gun.  Sev- 
eral purchased  fast  horses.  Some  took  blocks  of  stock 
at  a  low  price  in  some  of  the  various  mining  or  real 
estate  companies.     Many  of  the  miners'  wives  and 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  115 

daughters  bought  sealskin  coats,  others  diamonds  and 
many  kept  hired  domestics.  Everjthing  ait  the  mines 
went  on  swimmingly  and  to  put  it  in  the  language  of 
the  world,  "The  ornithological  webfooted  specimen  of 
cupidity  hung  in  an  elevated  position." 

But  later  on  a  change  came.  The  IMulto  mines 
were  not  so  promising.  The  great  ledge  of  pay  ore 
was  weakening.  It  gave  signs  of  "pinching  out"  on 
the  lower  levels.  There  was  plenty  of  pay  ore  in  sight, 
but  it  ^vas  evident  that  the  output  would  fall  off.  Bank- 
ers, brokers  and  mining  sharks  who  held  stock  as  col- 
lateral, showed  signs  of  panic.  They  called  in  loans. 
Debtors  could  not  pay  up.  The  collateral  had  to  be 
sold.  Miners  came  to  D'AIars  and  begged  him  to  buy 
it.  He  declined  to  buy  any  of  this  stock  except  at  pub- 
lic sale.  He  permitted  none  to  sell  for  less  than  par. 
Many  stockholders  under  various  pretexts  endeavored 
to  induce  D'Mars  to  buy  at  par.  He  advised  them  to 
hold  on  to  it,  but  in  cases  of  necessity  he  purchased, 
always  paying  par. 

A  vast  majority  of  the  miners  held  to  the  co-op- 
erative idea  and  many  not  only  kept  their  stock,  but 
had  purchased  additional  shares.  Thus  things  were 
drifting  when  the  Multo  mine  showed  signs  of  weak- 
ening. At  that  same  time  the  Cleo  mine  reached  a 
remarkably  rich  vein.  It  looked  more  promising  than 
did  the  Multo  at  its  best.  Outside  promoters  and  spec- 
ulators, who  opposed  the  co-operative  plan,  began  to 
shake  their  heads  and  whisper  poison  into  the  ears  of 
the  co-operators.  They  said  that  D'Mars  had  "bun- 
coed" them.  That  he  had  sold  them  stock  in  the  poor- 
est mine.  The  Cleo  was  the  mine.  D'Mars  owned 
all  of  it.  He  had  sold  the  poor  miners  over  8,000,000 
shares  at  twenty  cents  a  share  in  the  poorest  mine  and 
got  out  of  them  $1,600,000  which  he  used  in  develop- 
ing: the  Cleo  and  the  Pleidas,  which  also  looked  well. 


116  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

a  rich  pocket  of  ore  having  been  found  in  one  of  its 
crosscuts. 

Many  of  the  co-operators  became  dissatisfied.  Of 
course  they  could  easily  pay  out  for  their  stock  with 
the  dividends  it  earned.  It  cost  them  nothing,  but 
D'Mars  w^as  making  too  much  money.  He  v^as  be- 
coming a  capitalist — worse,  a  plutocrat. 

"What  do  you  fellows  amount  to?"  the  disturbers 
would  say,  "D'Mars  owns  over  16,000,000  shares.  All 
of  you  put  together  own  only  a  little  over  8,000,000. 
All  of  you  combined  don't  amount  to  half  as  much  as 
D'Mars.  You  are  nothing  but  suckers.  He  does  as 
he  pleases.  He  puts  shafts  down  to  suit  his "  own 
schemes.  He  intends  to  freeze  you  all  out  an^/way  in 
the  end.  The  way  to  keep  even  with  him  is  to  sell 
your  stock  if  you  can  and  get  the  money  for  it  and  get 
some  good  of  it." 

In  this  way  things  went  on  from  bad  to  worse. 
D'Mars  counseled  with  the  miners,  but  that  v^'as  of  no 
avail.  Some  had  lost  confidence  in  him.  Many  sus- 
pected him.  The  Multo  mine  was  giving  out.  The 
Cleo  looked  well.  Another  rich  vein  was  struck  in 
tlie  Pleidas.  This  was  proof  that  D'M'ars  had  "bun- 
coed" them. 

"But,"  said  D'Mars,  "the  Multo  mine  still  pays 
dividends.  The  dividends  in  another  year  will  pay  out 
for  your  stock." 

"Yes,"  said  a  ringleader  among  the  insurgents, 
"but  if  the  mine  gives  out,  what  will  the  stock  be 
w-orth  ?" 

"The  mine  will  not  give  out.  It  is  undoubtedly 
the  best  mine  in  the  camp.  I  would  stake  everything 
I  own  on  it,"  replied  D'Mars. 

"What  else  would  he  say,"  said  the  outside  dis- 
turbers. "Why  don't  you  test  his  sincerity?  You  fel- 
lows own  over  8,000.000  shares  in  the  Multo  mine. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  IH 

Why  don't  you  make  liim  an  offer  to  trade  this  stock 
for  the  Cleo  or  the  Pleidas  mine.  Then  you  will  have 
something  that  you  will  own  and  can  operate  your- 
selves. You  will  be  better  off,  than  if  you  owned  all 
the  stock  of  the  Multo  mine.  What  does  D'Mars  do? 
You  do  all  the  work.  Why  not  have  the  full  fruits  of 
your  toil  ?  Make  an  offer  of  this  sort  to  him  and  if  he 
is  sincere  he  will  take  you  up." 

"Good  common  sense,"  said  one  of  the  kickers, 
others  took  the  same  view  of  it.  So  D'Mars'  co-oper- 
ators, all  except  a  few  of  the  original  thirty-five  who 
had  the  big  blocks  of  stock,  held  a  meeting  and  pro- 
posed a  proposition  to  trade  all  their  stock  for  the 
Pleidas  mine.  They  could  not  command  all  the  orig- 
inal 8,375,000  shares.  Many  had  sold  and  some  re- 
fused to  take  part  in  the  proposed  deal.  But  they  were 
able  to  muster  up  5,000,000  shares.  They  appointed  a 
committee  made  up  of  the  most  determined  kickers, 
which  called  on  D'Mars  with  the  proposition.  He 
heard  them  and  then  replied : 

"Now,  gentlemen,  if  you  make  this  trade,  I  fear 
you  will  get  the  worst  of  the  bargain.  I  do  not  know 
what  the  Pleidas  mine  amounts  to  or  the  Cleo  either. 
But  I  feel  sure  that  the  Miulto  is  the  great  mine. 

"If  it  is  a  mistake  we  assume  the  whole  responsi- 
bility," said  Fred  Zudhurst,  the  chairman. 

"Very  well,"  said  D'Mars,  "when  do  you  desire 
to  make  the  transfers?" 

"Tomorrow,  if  it  will  suit  you,"  said  Zudhurst. 
"I  am  ready,  deliver  me  the  5,000,000  shares  and 
I  will  deliver  you  the  deeds  to  the  Pleidas,  clear,  free 
and  unencumbered.    You  get  all  the  machinery,  too," 
said  D'Mars. 

The  Committee  returned  to  the  hall  and  gleefully 
informed  the  miners  of  their  success. 


118  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"1  didn't  think  he  would  do  it,"  said  one  of  the 
agitators. 

"He  couldn't  help  himself.  He  saw  that  we  were 
deadi  on  to  him.  I  could  see  that  parting  with  the 
Pleidas  for  this  worthless  stock  was  like  pulling  teeth. 
He  squirmed,  but  let  go." 

The  transfers  were  promptly  made  next  day.  The 
new  owners  capitalized  the  mine  at  $10,000,000  di- 
vided the  stock  among  themselves,  in  proportion  to  the 
amount  each  surrendered.  Then  they  bonded  the  mine 
for  $250,000,  sold  the  bonds  for  80  cents  on  the  dollar, 
to  procure  worlcing  capital,  and  soon  extensive  devel- 
opment was  going  forward  on  the  Pleidas  mine. 

D'Mars  and  about  three  hundred  of  the  miners, 
who  held  Multo  stock  and  stood  by  him,  went  ahead 
developing  the  Multo  and  the  Cleo  mines.  D'Mars 
soon  had  the  old  quota  of  3,000  miners  at  work.  He 
was  still  full  of  the  co-operative  idea  and  accordingly 
offered  all  the  new  men  1,000  shares  each  of  the  Multo 
stock  at  thirty  cents.  Some  accepted  the  offer,  but 
the  majority  declined.  They  said  they  could  not  afford 
tc  buy. 

"But  I  am  paying  you  $3  per  day.  You  can  live 
on  two.  At  the  end  of  the  year  you  can  have  it  paid 
up,"  said  D'Mars. 

"Why  not  give  us  the  dividends  on  this  stock. 
That  was  the  bargain  you  had  with  the  other  miners 
who  traded  it  to  you  for  the  Pleidas  mine." 

"Why  give  you  the  dividends  it  earns  until  you 
pay  for  it.  The  dividends  would  pay  for  it  in  two 
years.  It  is  worth  more  than  par.  I  am  offering  you 
seventy  per  cent,  of  it  now  gratuitously,"  replied 
D'Mars. 

"But  those  were  the  terms  you  gave  the  other  fel- 
lows, besides  you  sold  them  the  stock  for  twenty 
cents,"  they  said. 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  119 

"Yes,"  said  D'Mars,  "I  gave  them  the  stock  gra- 
tuitously, and  they  didn't  want  it.  I  have  learned  that 
few  people  appreciate  a  gift.  Few  of  those  people 
ever  paid  a  dollar  of  their  own  money  on  that  stock. 
The  dividends  are  all  they  paid  on  it.  I  could  have 
the  dividends  without  selling  it.  Then  they  had  the 
nerve  to  come  and  offer  it  to  me  at  par.  I  paid  them 
more  than  par  for  it.  I  traded  them  a  mine  that  they 
consider  worth  $10,000,000  for  5,000,000  shares  of  it. 
That  was  paying  one  hundred  per  cent,  premium  for 
my  own  stock.  Now  some  of  them  say,  I  would 
have  swindled  them  had  they  not  been  too  smart  for 
me.  I  will  now  make  the  prediction  that  within  six 
months  these  people  who  are  now  'bearing'  Multo 
stock  will  be  grabbing  for  it  at  par." 

As  stated,  a  few  hundred  of  the  employees  took 
up  the  offer  and  they  were  ridiculed  by  the  majority 
who  Hved  up  to  all  they  earned  and  managed  to  keep 
about  thirty  days  behind  at  the  grocery. 

About  sixty  days  later,  a  new  formation  was 
found  in  one  of  the  shafts  of  the  Multo.  It  showed 
iron,  lead,  copper  and  silver  as  well  as  gold.  D'Mars 
believed  that  this  was  one  of  the  vaults  of  the  treasury 
where  a  reserve  of  at  least  $2,500,000,000  in  silver  and 
gold  had  been  held.  Just  forty  feet  deeper  a  large  and 
very  rich  vein  of  gold  and  silver  was  struck.  The  gold 
was  in  stringers,  shot,  flakes  and  nuggets.  The  ore 
assayed  $30,000  to  the  ton  and  the  vein  was  six  feet 
thick.  The  sum  of  $250,000  was  taken  out  the  first 
day,  some  nuggets  weighing  as  high  as  seven  pounds. 

The  news  spread  Hke  wild  fire.  Two  dollars  was 
offered  for  Multo  stock.  The  speculators  and  boom 
promoters  advanced  their  stocks  from  twenty  to  fifty 
points.  Land  doubled  in  value.  D'Mars  was  offered 
$100,000  per  acre  for  land  a  mile  from  the  Multo  mine. 

Lawyers    too    reaped  a  rich    harvest.     Suits    in 


120  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

equity  were  begun  against  D'Mars  by  "heirs."  Every- 
one who  could  show  that  a  great-grandparent  or  uncle 
had  "squatted"  on  the  D'Mars  land,  brought  suit  for 
possession. 

A  few  days  later  another  rich  vein  of  ore  was 
found  in  one  of  the  tunnels.  The  same  mineral  indica- 
tions heralded  it.  The  ore  assayed  $25,000  per  ton. 
The  boomers  and  promotors  again  advanced  their 
stock,  and  the  price  of  land  soared  up  in  sympathy 
with  the  watered  stocks. 

An  area  of  twelve  miles  square  or  144  square 
miles,  around  D'Mars'  2,500  acres,  showed  float  gold. 
In  some  places  only  a  trace  was  found  and  in  others, 
the  outcroppings  looked  well.  Prospectors  had  come 
from  all  quarters  a-nd  the  surface  was  "gophered" 
completely.  Some  veins  of  gold-bearing  quartz  were 
found  at  great  depth  in  some  of  the  shafts,  but  no  pay 
ore  had  yet  been  developed,  and  stockholders  in  the 
prospecting  companies  were  clamorous — the  predic- 
tions had  failed,  the  prophesies  had  been  unfulfilled. 

But  the  promotors  were  equal  to  the  occasion. 
They  professed  to  believe  that  the  absence  of  pay  ore 
near  the  surface  was  not  discouraging.  Indeed,  it  was 
a  good  sign,  they  said.  The  gold  was  there.  They 
were  on  the  dip  of  the  Multo  vein ;  the  ore  grew  rich- 
er with  the  depth.  They  were  bound  to  strike  it  and 
all  indications  showed  that  they  were  near  it.  An- 
other small  block  of  stock  would  be  placed  on  the 
market  by  each  promoter.  The  proceeds  would  carry 
the  development  to  the  required  depth,  and  then  the 
stock  would  advance  to  one  dollar  or  to  five  dollars  ac- 
cording to  the  richness  of  the  vein — no  telling  where 
the  price  would  stop. 

Some  of  the  promotors  had  found  traces  of  iron, 
cotDoer  and  lead.    These  were  the  indications  that  her- 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  121 

aided  D'Mars'  rich  vein.  The  pay  gold  was  almost  in 
sight. 

The  craze  of  speculation  assumed  many  amusing 
features.  At  a  depth  of  two  hundred  feet  in  a  shaft, 
splendid  specimens  of  copper  ore  were  found  with  a 
trace  of  gold.  The  experts  examined  the  ore  and  sur- 
roundings and  declared  it  the  greatest  copper  mine  in 
the  world.  It  happened  to  be  the  site  of  the  Gam- 
brinus  brewery.  A  company  was  organized  at  once, 
capitalized  at  $10,000,000,  and  a  block  of  the  stock  was 
placed  on  the  market  at  fifty  cents,  but  a  few  special 
friends  of  the  promoters  were  let  in  on  the  ground  floor 
at  thirty  cents  and  they  grabbed  large  slices  of  the 
copper  pie. 

D'Mars  was  sorry  for  the  dupes  who  furnished 
the  money.  But  he  could  do  nothing  to  stop  the  craze. 
His  warnings  were  all  misinterpreted  by  the  promot- 
ors.  They  explained  that  he  was  jealous  and  hoggish. 
They  said  that  he  feared  that  after  they  had  all  tapped 
the  rich  veins  g^old  would  be  so  plentiful  that  it  would 
be  worthless.  Investors  had  no  such  fears  and  the 
money  still  poured  in. 


122  D'MABS  AFFINITY 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

CORINNA  AND  EdiTH. 

On  the  evening  following  the  murder  of  Mrs. 
Eordyce,  Azel  sat  in  her  room.  She  had  been  de- 
pressed all  day.  She  was  not  only  shocked  over  the 
murder,  but  she  had  a  strange  foreboding  of  impend- 
ing evil.    She  could  neither  fathom  nor  understand  it. 

Some  strange  feeling  had  possessed  her  since  that 
night  she  met  D'IMars  at  the  church  festival.  That 
she  had  met  him  before,  she  was  sure.  But  when,  and 
where?  Was  it  a  dream?  She  could  not  analyze  her 
feelings.  It  seemed  to  her  that  he  was  some  way 
linked  to  her  fate.  Was  this  love?  Was  she  in  love 
with  one  who  probably  cared  nothing  for  her,  perhaps 
never  gave  her  a  second  thought?  Her  pride  came 
to  the  rescue  and  she  despised  herself  for  such  weak- 
ness. But  she  could  not  shake  off  the  impression  and 
the  depression. 

She  now  reflected  on  the  past.  Who  was  she? 
Who  were  her  parents  ?  Were  they  respectable  ?  Why 
had  the  finger  of  scorn  been  pointed  toward  her  by  the 
best  society  ?  Then  she  thought  of  her  misfortune  of 
two  years  ago,  when  she  had  been  deceived  by  Cobden. 
What  had  she  done?  Why  was  the  cross  so  heavy? 
She  then  thought  of  Him,  who  suffered  death  on  the 
cross,  and  as  she  had  done  on  former  occasions,  she 
threw  herself  at  the  foot  of  the  cross  and  prayed  for 
mercy.  Long  and  fervently  she  besought  the  Source 
of  all  good  and  happiness  for  a  ray  of  light  and  for 
guidance. 

Her  prayer  was  answered.  That  night  she  had  a 
dream  of  warning  and  of  future  happiness.  A  beautiful 
angel  appeared  to  her  and  warned  her  that  conspirators 


"should   I   ATTEMPT   ANYTHING  RASH  TO-NIGHT    YOU  GENTLEMEN 
MUST   RESTRAIN    ME."— Page   181. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  12S 

had  plotted  her  ruin.  They  were  still  active.  She 
would  be  charged  with  the  murder,  and  her  only  safety 
was  in  flight.  She  should  leave  secretly  on  the  vessel 
which  sailed  for  Liverpool  the  following  day,  and  leave 
that  place  of  worry  forever.  She  then  saw  herself 
surrounded  by  friends  and  admirers.  Far  in  the  dim 
distance,  struggling  with  ocean  waves,  she  saw  D'Mars, 
He  was  trying  to  come  to  her. 

Next  morning  she  decided  to  follow  the  inspira- 
tion. Long  before  anyone  had  stirred,  and  in  the  light 
of  the  early  day  she  left  the  only  home  she  ever  knew. 
It  broke  her  heart  to  leave  without  a  word  to  her  fos- 
ter mother,  who  had  been  so  kind  to  her.  But  this  was 
the  course  she  had  been  directed  to  pursue.  She  had 
just  enough  money  to  pay  for  a  second-class  passage. 
No  questions  were  asked,  and  at  9  a.  m.  the  vessel  was 
under  way. 

Like  a  criminal  and  a  fugitive  from  justice  Azel 
occuped  a  camp  chair  in  an  obscure  corner  of  the  deck. 
She  wept  bitterly  as  the  city  faded  away  and  the 
mountain  range  assumed  its  atmospheric  tints  and 
finally  merged  into  the  horizon.  She  well  knew  that 
her  sudden  disappearance  would  be  subject  for  com- 
ment and  that  her  enemies  would  treat  it  as  a  crimin- 
ating circumstance.  Suppose  that  fragment  of  fringe 
found  in  the  hand  of  the  murdered  woman  were  by 
the  designs  of  the  conspirators  in  some  way  traced  to 
her.  She  would  be  considered  guilty  and  her  absence 
would  prove  it.  What  would  her  friends  say?  Her 
concern  was  more  for  them  than  for  herself. 

Hour  after  hour  she  sat  and  scanned  the  blue 
circle  that  surrounds  a  ship  at  sea.  Finally  a  woman 
approached  and  took  a  chair  near  her.  She  saw  that 
Azel  was  in  trouble.  She  wore  the  garb  of  some  re- 
ligious order.  Soon  she  engaged  Azel  in  conversation. 
She  was  gentle  and  unassuming.     It  was  a  relief  to 


124  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

Azel.  She  had  often  comforted  the  sorrowful  and 
helped  them  bear  their  burden  of  Woe,  She  needed 
someone  to  whom  she  could  open  her  heart. 

"I  am  Sister  Celestine,"  said  the  stranger.  "I 
have  had  my  own  sorrows  and  I  am  accustomed  to 
hearing  and  sharing  the  sorrows  of  others.  You  can 
tell  me  all  in  perfect  confidence." 

She  appeared  to  Azel  as  a  sympathizing  and  lov- 
ing mother. 

It  seemed  that  the  bread  she  had  cast  upon  the 
waters  was  returning  a  hundred  fold.  And  she  was  so 
hungry  for  sympathy.  She  told  all  without  reserva- 
tion, except  her  own  kindness  to  the  needy  and  suffer- 
ing. 

The  good  sister  spoke  to  her  words  of  comfort; 
told  her  how  little  dependence  could  be  placed  in  the 
world  and  its  transitory  allurements.  She  believed  that 
Azel's  dream  was  an  inspiration  and  that  she  was  wise 
in  heeding  it. 

"Let  me  look  at  your  hand,"  said  Celestine. 

Azel  extended  her  left  hand.  Celestine  held  the 
slender  fingers  and  viewed  the  delicate  palm  long  and 
earnestly. 

"My  child,"  she  finally  said,  "1  never  before  saw 
but  one  hand  like  yours.  You  ought  to  be  happy,  and 
you  will  be  happy  again.  The  lines  of  mortal  mind 
are  almost  eliminated.  You  have  visited  the  immortal 
worlds,  since  the  fall  of  man.  The  line  of  immortality 
so  seldom  seen  in  a  physical  hand  is  well  developed." 

"What  produces  these  lines  ?"  questioned  Azel. 

"Mind,"  said  Celestine. 

"But  the  infant's  hands  show  all  these  lines.  How 
could  its  mind  produce  them  ?" 

"Oh,  my  child,  your  'question  involves  more  of 
the  occult,  I  fear,  than  you  can  understand.  The 
agencies  that  produce  the  lines  in  the  infants'  hands 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  125 

were  at  work  producing  these  lines  ages  before  the 
infant  was  born." 

"That  agency  is  God,"  said  Azel. 

"Yes,  it  was  spiritual  mind  and  evil  mind,  too. 
Mortal  mind  as  well  as  spiritual  stamps  this  index  to 
each  character  on  the  human  hand." 

"Does  my  hand  indicate  natural  aptitude  for  any 
occupation?  You  see  I  must  do  something  to  earn  a 
living  the  moment  I  land." 

"You  are  a  natural  artist.  Music  is  your  forte, 
yet  your  large  ideality  and  love  of  nature  bespeaks  for 
you  success  with  the  pencil  and  brush.  You  ought 
to  sing  well." 

"I  do  sing,  but  I  am  utterly  unable  to  vocalize  the 
harmony  that  comes  to  me." 

"Your  voice  needs  cultivating,  perhaps.  I  knew 
you  could  sing  the  moment  I  saw  you,  for  I  recog- 
nized in  you  the  singing  temperament." 

Celestine  and  Azel  became  warm  friends  during 
the  day  and  at  night  they  were  assigned  to  the  same 
room. 

Celestine  had  been  a  famous  Prima  Donna  and 
electrified  many  a  cultured  audience  by  her  songs  in 
opera,  before  she  abandoned  the  world  for  the  seclusion 
of  the  cloister.  But  the  world  followed  her  and  the 
beautiful  convent  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean, 
to  which  she  had  retired  became  famous  for  its  musical 
and  vocal  training  department. 

The  following  day,  she  played  and  sang  for  the 
second  cabin  passengers.  Azel  was  astonished.  "If 
my  voice  was  only  trained  like  that,"  she  said  mentally 
as  she  stood  by  the  grand  piano  and  drank  in  the  in- 
spiration. 

"Now  I  want  to  hear  you  sing,"  said  Celestine. 

With  faltering  heart  Azel  sat  before  the  instru- 
ment and  sang  one  of  her  favorite  pieces  to  her  own 


126  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

accompaniment.  The  applause  and  encore  were  so 
generous  that  Azel  was  ■  compelled  to  sing  again  and 
again. 

That  evening  Celestine  assured  her  that  she  had 
great  natural  ability,  and  for  her  was  assured  a  brilliant 
future  in  the  field  of  art. 

After  this,  the  first  cabin  passengers  came  over 
frequently  to  hear  Celestine  and  Azel  play  and  sing. 
Every  possible  effort  was  made  to  induce  the  singers  to 
change  their  quarters,  and  come  over  to  the  first  cabin^ 
but  in  vain.  To  all  importunities  they  replied  that  they 
felt  it  a  duty  to  stay  and  cheer  the  plain  people  who 
enjoyed  so  few  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 

Three  years  later  a  young  woman  sat  in  her  room 
gazing  intently  upon  the  blue  waters  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean. The  soft  azure  Italian  sky  was  unclouded 
and  a  delightful  breeze  toyed  with  the  foliage  of  num- 
erous shade  trees,  which  like  sentinels,  guarded  the  ap- 
proach to  the  ancient  structure.  The  rare  beauty  of 
the  sole  occupant  of  the  boudoir  was  enhanced  by 
the  peaceful  tranquility  that  rested  on  her  sweet  and 
intellectual  face. 

It  was  Azel,  but  she  was  no  longer  known  by  that 
name.  After  entering  the  convent,  upon  her  arrival  in 
Italy,  she  took  the  name  of  Corinna.  Three  years  had 
wrought  wonderful  changes  in  her  appearance.  Azel 
of  the  mining  camp  was  now  a  finely  developed  and 
matured  woman  of  twenty-three  years.  But  the  im- 
provement in  her  appearance  was  only  an  incident  to 
the  mental  change.  Under  the  tutorship  of  Sister 
Celestine  she  had  become  a  famous  singer  and  artist. 
Indeed,  she  had  surpassed  her  teacher  in  music  and 
was  now  a  noted  improvisatrice.  Her  musical  com- 
positions were  admired  for  that  rare  melody  and  har- 
mony which  stirs  the  deepest  recesses  of  the  human 
heart  and  touches  the  soul. 


B'MABS  AFFINITY.  127 

She  had  buried  the  past.  The  dark  clouds  of  her 
early  life  were  turned  by  the  sun  of  peace  and  joy  into 
a  sea  of  molten  gold.  But  one  dark  shadow  remained. 
Who  was  she  ?  Where  in  the  realms  of  space  or  in  the 
conservatory  of  nature  was  the  mother  whom  she  still 
believed  fondly  loved  her.  Sister  Celestine  only,  knev/^ 
her  secret,  and  she  guarded  it  well.  She  had  been  a 
mother  to  her,  as  well  as  a  friend  in  need.  In  this  hour 
of  triumph,  she  thought  with  a  shudder  of  what  might 
have  been,  had  not  that  dear  woman  come  to  her  aid  in 
that  hour  of  deep  distress  and  woe.  She  saw  the 
narrow  margin,  the  trivial  circumstance  that  turns  the 
whole  tenor  of  a  life. 

Sister  Celestine  furnished  her  the  Sidney  news- 
papers from  time  to  time.  She  read  of  the  marriage 
of  the  Duke  of  Cronstadt  and  Florence  Dashon.  How 
could  she  marry  the  man  who  had  conspired  with  Cob- 
den  to  slander  and  betray  her?  What  motive  could 
these  men  have  for  such  perfidy?  But  so  far  as  she 
personally  was  concerned,  she  had  escaped  their 
clutches,  if  they  had  further  schemes  than  to  injure 
her  name.  But  she  forgave  them  long  ago  and  hoped 
Florence  would  be  happy. 

She  also  read  of  D'Mars'  success  and  the  fabulous 
wealth  he  had  won.  She  was  glad  to  hear  of  his  suc- 
cess for  she  had  learned  through  private  sources  that 
when  she  was  charged  with  the  murder  of  Mrs.  For- 
dyce,  D'Mars  stood  out  with  her  friends  among  the 
poor  and  declared  his  belief  in  her  innocence.  He  had 
also  employed  a  detective  to  work  on  the  case  and  if 
possible,  discover  the  plotters  against  her.  She  learned 
also  of  his  strange  hallucination,  in  which  he  believed 
that  some  day  he  would  find  his  affinity,  Ethel. 

She  often  thought  of  writing  to  D'Mars.  She 
knew  that  she  could  trust  him.  On  one  occasion  she 
had  written  a  letter,  but  after  considering  the  matter, 


128  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

she  destroyed  it.  She  could  not  say  what  she  wanted  to 
say.  What  did  she  want  to  say?  She  could  not  tell. 
When  she  thought  of  him,  a  strange  feeling  possessed 
her.  She  thought  of  her  dreams,  of  the  locket  and  her 
final  dream  of  warning  on  her  last  night  in  Sidney,  in 
which  she  saw  D'Mars  struggling  to  reach  her.  What 
did  it  all  mean  ?  A  strange  feeling  came  over  her  when 
she  meditated  on  these  matters.  Was  it  love  ?  Did  she 
love  D'Mars  ?  "No,"  she  would  say.  Then  she  would 
feel  provoked  over  such  weakness.  She  may  never 
see  him  again.  Perhaps  he  never  thinks  of  me  in  that 
way.  But  strive  as  she  would  D'Mars  was  her  hero. 
She  realized  that  he  never  could  be  anything  more  to 
her  than  a  memory,  yet  around  that  ruin  the  fresh 
bloom  and  tendrils  of  her  heart  of  hearts  were  still 
verdantly  entwined. 

This  was  the  state  of  Corinna's  mind  when  she 
was  about  to  take  the  veil  that  would  forever  bury  her 
from  the  world.  She  had  found  refuge  from  her 
enemies,  peace  and  happiness  within  these  old  convent 
walls.  To  her  the  chime  of  the  bells  was  sweet  music. 
She  had  sought  to  penetrate  the  secret  mysteries  of 
her  heart — in  prayer  and  meditation.  To-day  ended 
her  novena,  in  which  she  prayed  for  light.  She  had 
consulted  the  old  chaplain.  He  was  not  sure  she  had 
a  vocation.  He  advised  her  to  wait.  The  light  would 
come  to  her  in  a  way  that  precluded  mistake.  She  could 
better  afford  to  await  events  than  to  make  a  hasty  mis- 
take. Her  mission  in  life,  whatever  it  was,  would  be 
made  known  to  her  in  due  time. 

"Here  you  are  and  I  have  been  searching  for  you 
the  last  hour,"  said  a  merry  voice  as  Edith  Rockwell, 
her  pupil  and  her  inseparable  friend  and  companion, 
entered  her  boudoir.  Edith  was  the  only  daughter  of 
old  Jasper  Rockwell,  the  richest  man  in  the  United 
States.     She  was   a  splendid  specimen  of  American 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  129 

beauty.    Dark  raven  locks  crowned  a  strong  intellectual 
face  of  rare  beauty. 

She  had  been  a  pupil  of  Corinna  the  past  year  and 
had  made  marvelous  progress.  Indeed,  she  was  al- 
ready one  of  the  famous  singers  of  that  land  of  art. 
They  were  more  like  sisters  than  tutor  and  pupil. 
Edith  was  the  only  confidant  with  whom  Corinna  had 
ever  entrusted  her\vhole  story,  except  Sister  Celestme. 
Edith's  warm  and  loving  heart  went  out  in  tender  s>Tn- 
pathy  for  the  lonely  orphan  who  had  experienced  so 
much  of  the  dark  and  sad  side  of  life. 

"What  is  it  dear?"  said  Corinna  as  Edith  entered 
and  threw  herself  into  an  easy  chair. 

"I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  papa  and  he 
will  be  here  one  week  from  today.  He  wishes  me  to 
make  the  tour  of  the  Alps  with  him  and  I  want  you  to 
accompany  us.  There  now,  you  will  go,  won't  you?' 
and  she  fondly  kissed  Corinna. 

"I  fear  that  I  must  disappoint  you,  my  dear.  I 
expect  to  spend  the  remainder  of  my  -Ife  within  these 
walls  and  this  trip  would  only  distract  me.  I  thmk 
I  would  better  not  undertake  it." 

"Have  you  had  an  answer  to  your  nine  day  pray- 
er?" queried  Edith  with  concern. 

"I  can  hardly  say  that  I  have.  You  see  my 
novena  only  ends  today.  Answers  do  not  always  come 
instantly. 

"Well  this  time  your  answer  came  sooner  than 
you  expected.     You  already  have  it." 
■  '        "What  is  it?     I  do  not  understand." 

"This  opportunity  to  tour  the  Alps.  Sail  on  the 
beautiful  lakes,  drink  in  the  grandeur  and  sublimity 
of  nature,  is  your  answer.  You  must  not  ignore  it. 
No  one  can  tell  what  inspiration  may  come  to  you. 
God  does  not  always  speak  in  words.  He  manifests 
himself  in  His  works.  You  will  know  and  love  Him 


130  B'MABS  AFFINITY. 

better  when  you  see  more  of  His  works.  You  must 
go  with  us." 

Corinna  was  silent.  Edith's  words  had  impress- 
ed her.  She  had  longed  to  see  something  of  the 
world.  Maybe  this  was  her  answer.  It  was  a  strange 
coincidence  that  this  unexpected  opportunity  had  come 
to  her  at  the  very  moment  the  expected  answer  to 
her  novena  was  due. 

But  there  was  still  a  shadowy  background  to  the 
bright  picture.  She  had  no  money  of  her  own.  The 
contemplated  trip  was  an  expensive  one.  She  knew 
that  Sister  Celestine  would  gladly  spare  sufficient  funds 
to  defray  her  expenses,  but  she  could  not  afford  it. 
They  had  so  many  expenses  and  their  income  was 
small.  She  knew  that  Mr.  Rockwell  would  willingly 
pay  all  the  bills,  but  could  she  put  herself  under  such 
obligations  to  any  man — and  especially  to  an  entire 
stranger  ?  The  shadow  of  a  cloud  gathered  on  her  face 
as  she  thought  of  this. 

Edith  noticed  it  and  truly  read  her  mind.  How 
t'j  surmount  the  difficulty,  puzzled  her,  for  she  knew 
that  Corinna  was  a  woman  of  strong  convictions  and 
peculiar  views  upon  such  points  of  propriety. 

"You  know  the  chaplain  told  you  not  to  hurry,  to 
await  events  until  you  were  certain.  The  vacation  sea- 
son is  here.  You  can  get  away.  Now  what  in  the 
world  is  to  hinder  you  accompanying  us?  Papa  will 
be  only  too  glad." 

"I  will  be  frank  with  you,  Edith.  I  would  cer- 
tainly consult  Celestine.  I  know  she  would  be  pleased 
to  let  me  make  this  trip  with  you.  I  may  never  have 
such  an  opportunity  again,  but  they  have  already  done 
much  for  me  here,  they  are  poor  and  I  could  not  think 
of  asking  them  to  incur  such  an  expense.  I  know 
that  the  expense  is  nothing  to  your  father.     He  would 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  131 

be  glad  to  pay  it  all,  but  really,  I  could  act  accept  such 
a  personal  favor  from  even  him." 

"I  knew  that  you  would  regard  that  as  a  barrier 
to  your  happiness,  so  I  provided  for  it.  Papa  sends 
me  one  thousand  dollars  every  month,  I  can't  spend 
it,  I  have  more  money  than  I  know  what  to  do  with.  I 
have  eleven  thousand  dollars  in  the  bank  doing  nobody 
any  good.  Papa  knows  nothing  of  it,  I  have  drawn 
a  check  for  five  thousand  payable  to  you.  I  have  long 
intended  to  give  you  that  money.  Here  it  is,"  remark- 
ed Edith,  as  she  placed  the  check  in  Corinna's  hand. 
"You  can  accept  it  from  me.  Papa  need  never  know 
anything  about  it." 

Corinna  was  so  overcome  by  the  kind  consideration 
and  delicacy  of  Edith  that  she  burst  into  a  flood  of 
tears. 

"I  do  not  know  what  to  do,"  she  finally  managed 
to  say,  as  she  returned  Edith's  fond  embrace.  "Know- 
ing the  generosity  of  your  nature  and  the  unselfish 
kindness  that  prompts  you,  I  must  accept  your  favor. 
But  the  amount  is  entirely  too  great.  You  must  re- 
duce it.  I  would  not  know  what  to  do  with  one  thous- 
and dollars." 

"There  now"  said  Edith,  laughing  in  her  gladness. 
Say  nothing  about  the  amount.  Papa  would  not  care 
if  I  gave  away  a  million,  he  makes  more  than  that 
daily.  Sometimes  I  fear  he  will  go  insane  over  money 
and  business,  and  he  is  such  a  suflferer  from  nervous- 
ness." 

"But  I  thought  he  had  recovered  from  that?" 

"No.  The  doctor  thought  he  had  cured  papa,  but 
ne  relapsed  and  is  now  worse  than  ever.  His  malady  is 
very  strange.  The  physicians  can  find  no  constitution- 
al ailment,  yet  he  is  a  physical  wreck.  It  has  now 
reached  his  stomach.  He  has  been  dieted  to  death, 
nothing  but  change  of  scene  seems  to  benefit  him  and 


132  D'MABS  AFEINITY. 

when  he  is  away,  he  worries  over  business.  I  want 
you  to  have  an  opportunity  to  talk  with  him  and  draw 
his  mind  away  from  those  material  things." 

"I  shall  consult  Celestine  and  if  she  thinks  it  best, 
I  shall  be  only  too  happy  to  accompany  you.  This 
all  seems  so  sudden." 

"Believe  me,  an  unseen  hand  is  guiding.  It  shapes 
our  destinies.  We  only  seek  light  and  choose  the 
right  according  to  our  light.  Now  I  can  see  nothing 
wrong  in  this  trip.  It  seems  to  be  right.  We  can 
only  obey  and  trust  to  Him  who  knows  all  things." 

One  week  later  Mr.  Rockwell  arrived  in  his  splen- 
did yacht.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  private  secre- 
tary and  wife  and  a  guest,  Mr.  Vanstine,  of  Chicago. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  133 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Love's  Final  Tkst. 

Mr,  Rockwell  had  heard  of  Corinna  through 
Edith,  which  made  the  meeting-,  not  only  cordial,  but 
a  very  happy  affair.  Mr.  Vanstine  was  most  compan- 
ionable and  between  him  and  Corinna  sprang  up  a 
firm  friendship.  He  thought  she  resembled  his  wife 
who  was  dead  twenty  years,  but  would  ever  remain 
enthroned  as  the  idol  of  his  heart.  Tears  came  to  his 
eyes  as  he  told  her  of  their  little  daughter  who  was 
drowned  at  the  age  of  three  years  and  how  the  mother 
never  recovered  from  the  shock.  But  notwithstanding 
his  great  sorrow  he  was  brim  full  of  vivacity  and  was 
the  life  of  the  party.  "I  induced  Mr.  Vanstine  to  ac- 
company me  because  his  endless  fund  of  wit  and 
humor  cheers  me,"  explained  Mr.  Rockwell  to  the 
ladies. 

Mr.  Rockwell,  once  a  man  of  splendid  physique 
was  only  a  shadow  of  his  former  self,  yet  the  sparkle 
of  his  eye  and  his  keen  scent  for  business  indicated 
that  what  suffering  had  taken  from  him,  physicallvi, 
was  bestowed  upon  his  mentality.  Of  a  most  delicious 
luncheon,  he  partook  of  only  clam  broth  and  water 
crackers.  After  luncheon  the  party  enjoyed  a  pro- 
longed conversation,  and  among  other  topics,  Mr. 
Rockwell's   strange  malady  was   referred  to. 

"I  shall  starve  to  death  unless  I  soon  find  relief," 
said  the  trust  magnate.  "My  stomach  revolts  against 
everything.  I  have  been  existing  on  clam  broth  and 
crackers  until  I  feel  even  a  protest  against  that  simple 
diet.  There  is  a  strange  pecularity  about  my  malady. 
To  show  you  the  delicate  position  I  am  in,  I  will  re- 
late to  you  an  accident.  My  chef  was  instructed  by 
the  physician  to  give  me  only  pure  water  crackers. 
For  several  meals,  he  gave  me  butter  crackers.     I  got 


D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

along  with  them  very  well  until  the  physician  saw  him 
serve  the  butter  crackers.  He  was  very  much  ex- 
cited. He  said,  that  violation  of  orders  had  defeated 
his  plan  of  cure.  He  was  starving  out  the  malignant 
germs  in  my  stomach.  Butter  was  their  natural  food. 
They  were  now  revived  and  I  might  expect  an  attack 
from  them  at  any  time.  Butter  was  repulsive  to  the 
friendly  germs.  It  tended  to  sicken  them  and  render 
them  unable  to  kill  off  the  malignant  germs,  thus  re- 
inforced by  butter,  their  dainty  food.  After  this  I  was 
utterly  unable  to  taste  a  butter  cracker.  The  physician 
explained  to  me  that  the  malignant  germs  had  just 
begun  work,  and  a  hand-to-hand  war  was  now  going 
on  in  my  stomach  between  the  two  enemies.  He  ex- 
pressed the  hope,  that  by  depriving  the  malignants 
of  their  rations  and  encouraging  the  home  guards,  I 
would  recover  from  the  disastrous  mistake  of  the 
chef." 

"Have  you  any  other  trouble?"  inquired  Corinna. 

"I  have;  it  is  just  developing.  I  begin  to  suffer 
from  insomnia.  It  comes  from  the  nerves.  My  phy- 
sician warned  me  about  two  weeks  ago  that  I  might 
expect  this.  He  advised  me  to  drink  of  and  bathe 
in  the  healing  waters  of  Carlsbad.  But  I  have  not 
the  least  particle  of  faith  in  them,  and  my  physician 
at  Carlsbad  assured  me  that  if  I  did  not  believe  in 
them  they  would  injure  me.  He  advised  change  of 
scene — anything  that  would  distract  my  mind  from 
myself  and  from  business.  He  advised  me,  if  I  could 
get  relief  no  other  way,  to  play  poker.  Mr.  Rockwell 
even  admitted  that  the  excitement  of  the  games  at 
Carlsbad  did  more  to  restore  health  than  the  water." 

"Why  didn't  you  play  poker?"  said  Mr.  Vanstine. 
"Were  you  afraid  you  would  break  the  crowd?" 

"Now,  Brother  Vanstine.  you  know  that  I  have 
religious  scruples  about  gambling.  Were  it  not  for 
that  I  believe  I  would  have  given  them  a  whirl,"  re- 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  136 

plied  Mr.  Rockwell,  with  that  smile  which  so  often 
made  Wall  street  tremble. 

"I  believe  you  can  be  cured,"  said  Corinna. 

"I  hope  so,"  said  Mr.  Rockwell  dubiously.  "But 
I  want  to  say  to  you  that  I  am  about  through  with 
medicine.  I  have  eaten  and  drank  barrels  of  it.  I 
have  bathed  and  washed  and  rinsed  and  I  am  surprised 
that  they  did  not  run  me  through  a  wringer.  They 
have  given  me  the  Swedish  movement  and  kneaded 
me  to  perfection." 

"I  suppose  they  needed  your  money  more  than 
you,"  remarked  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"Possibly,"  replied  Mr.  Rockwell,  "but  I  still  stand 
by  my  offer  of  one  hundred  million  dollars  to  any 
physician  who  cures  me  and  gives  a  ten  years'  guar- 
antee." 

Three  days  later  they  reached  Marseilles  and  a 
few  hours'  ride  by  rail  carried  them  into  the  heart 
of  the  Alps.  The  scenery  was  a  revelation  to  Co- 
rinna, and  even  Edith  who  had  seen  much  of  the 
world  shared  Corinna's  bewilderment  in  the  presence 
of  these  cloud-capped  domes  of  eternal  snow.  They 
spent  several  days  at  Como,  and  made  many  excur- 
sions to  the  mountains.  Near  here,  and  hidden  deep 
in  the  mountain  fastness  dwelled  the  famous  recluse 
Gervino.  Corinna  and  Edith  had  heard  of  his  won- 
derful learning  and  powers  in  the  occult.  Some  of  his 
predictions  were  astonishing  in  their  specific  fulfill- 
ment. He  seldom  saw  visitors  and  never  gave  any 
attention  to  those  who  called  out  of  curiositv. 

Several  hours'  drive  through  a  steep  mountain 
pass  brought  the  ladies  to  a  deep  chasm  about  twenty 
feet  across  and  through  which  a  swift  mountain  tor- 
rent dashed  a  hundred  feet  below.  On  the  opposite 
side  was  a  small  stone  cottage.  A  swing  bridge 
spanned  the  gorge  and  Gervino  always  kept  it  open 


136  B'MABS  AFFINITY. 

except  when  he  was  crossing  or  receiving  visitors. 
The  guide  called  the  recluse  by  means  of  an  old  im- 
provised telephone  connected  with  the  cottage  by  a 
wire. 

He  came  out  and  leisurely  walked  down  to  the 
brink.  He  was  clad  in  patriarchal  robes  and  wore 
a  long  beard  slightly  sprinkled  with  gray.  After  view- 
ing the  ladies  for  a  few  moments  he  adjusted  the 
bridge  and  they  walked  over.  The  ladies  apologized 
for  the  intrusion  and  began  to  inform  him  of  their 
desire   for   information. 

"I  am  endeavoring  to  ascertain  what  is  my  voca- 
tion in  life,"  said  Corinna. 

"I  too,  seek  knowledge,"  said  Edith. 

Gervino  studied  them  several  minutes  before  he 
spoke.  It  seemed  an  hour  that  those  piercing  eyes 
were  fastened  upon  them  alternately.  He  finally  ad- 
dressed Corinna. 

"You  contemplate  a  life  of  seclusion  from  the 
world — in  a  convent.  That  is  not  your  vocation.  You 
have  an  affinity  in  mortality.  He  loves  you  and  is 
searching  for  you.  You  love  him  though  you  are 
scarcely  conscious  of  it  yet." 

"Have  I  ever  seen  him?" 

"You  have  seen  him  thousands  of  times  during 
the  ages  since  the  fall  of  man.  You  have  seen  and 
conversed  with  him  in  your  present  mortal  exist- 
ence." 

"Can  you  give  me  his  name?" 

"Names  are  only  human  fictions.  They  have  no 
place  in  eternity.  Your  present  mortal  life  is  en- 
veloped in  a  mystery  which  you  seek  to  solve.  You 
have  been  a  victim  of  relentless  enemies.  They  have 
an  object  in  pursuing  you — but  their  day  is  over; 
your  triumph  is  near  at  hand.  Within  one  )'«ar  the 
mystery  of  your  life  will  be  cleared  up." 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  137 

"Can  you  describe  my  affinity?" 

"I  can.  He  is  tall,  dark  complexion,  regular  fea- 
tures, commanding  presence  and  three  or  four  years 
older.  He  and  you  played  together  in  childhood; 
during  your  existence  which  preceded  this  one." 

"Are  my  parents  living?" 

"Your  father  lives.  He  has  considered  you  dead 
for  many  years.  Your  mother  is  dead  in  mortality 
and  passed  on  to  paradise.  It  is  hardly  likely  that 
she  will  ever  return  to  mortality.  You  shall  see  your 
father  and  he  shall  pass  on  and  join  your  mother." 

"My  father  living!  Tell  me,  good  prophet,  what 
is  his  name,  and  where  can  I  find  him?" 

"I  can  say  no  more.  What  you  ask  is  not  revealed 
to  me.  But  you  shall  meet  your  father  within  the  year, 
and  your  affinity  too.  You  shall  be  happy.  But  I  see 
a  shadow.  There  shall  be  an  interruption  in  your  plans 
at  the  most  unexpected  time.  But  great  happiness  is  re- 
served for  you." 

"I  must  await  the  slow  hand  of  fate,"  said  Ethel, 
resignedly. 

"You  should  not  be  impatient.  Thousands  of 
years  you  have  awaited  the  .happiness  now  within  your 
grasp.    See  that  you  miss  it  not,"  said  the  hermit. 

Turning  to  Edith,  he  remarked : 

"You  desire  to  know  if  you  will  marry  and  if  you 
will  be  happy,  and  if  your  father  will  ever  be  cured  ?" 

Edith  bowed  in  response,  with  a  significant 
glance  at  Ethel. 

"Your  father  will  be  cured  and  his  cure  will  be 
complete  if  he  follows  the  inspirations  that  will  come 
to  him.  You  will  be  married  and  happy.  You  will 
have  two  lovers.  One  is  a  knave  and  unworthy  of 
you.  You  will  fancy  that  you  love  the  knave.  Beware 
and  heed  your  warnings.  You  will  soon  recognize 
your  real  affinity  when  you  meet." 


138  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

"Have  I  ever  met  either?" 

"You  have  seen  the  knave  but  you  have  not  been 
mtroduced." 

"How  shall  I  recognize  the  knave?"  inquired 
Edith. 

"Easily.  He  will  present  to  you  an  alluring  bait. 
Ethel  will  aid  you  in  the  unmasking,"  said  the  hermit 
gravely. 

"How  soon  will  father  be  cured?" 

"Within  one  month." 

"Has  every  one  an  affinity?" 

"Yes,  every  being  endowed  with  free  will,  rea- 
son and  choice  between  right  and  wrong  has  an  affin- 
ity, either  in  mortality  or  in  the  higher  existence. 
Those  whose  affinities  have  passed  on,  have  a  voca- 
tion for  a  life  of  celibacy.  Both  of  you  ladies  have 
affinities  in  mortal  life." 

"Have  I  ever  seen  my  true  affinity  otherwise  than 
in  mortality?"  inquired  Corinna. 

Gervino  closed  his  eyes  in  meditation  several 
minutes  before  answering.  Not  one  word  was  spoken. 
Slowly  opening  his  eyes,  he  replied : 

"Long  ago  when  this  world  was  young,  prior 
to  man's  rebellion,  you  and  your  true  love,  your  insep- 
arable other  half,  were  happy  together  on  this  earth. 
But  you  both  fell  with  the  other  angels.  One  of  the 
consequences  of  that  rebellion  was  the  destruction 
of  love  and  the  estrangement  of  lovers.  The  mar- 
riage of  those  who  did  not  love — those  who  were  not 
made  for  each  other  by  nature's  law  designed,  brought 
into  mortal  existence  the  children  of  the  flesh,  the 
sons  of  man  and  with  this  unnatural  miscegenation 
came  mortal  mind — sin  and  suffering — woe  and  mis- 
ery. You  and  your  lover  were  thus  estranged  and  for 
thousands  of  ages  he  and  you  have  been  separated. 
You  have  both  wandered  and  suffered,  as  error  ever 


B'MABS  AFFINITY.  139 

wanders  and  suffers.  You  have  at  times  almost  come 
together,  but  owing  to  the  darkness  and  the  perver- 
sity of  error  you  were  not  united  in  wedlock.  My 
light  reveals  to  me  a  time  when  you  met.  Had  you 
wedded  then  all  your  wanderings  would  have  ceased 
and  you  would  have  been  happy  ever  since  in  the  im- 
mortal worlds." 

"So  no  one  should  marry  until  he  has  found  his 
affinity — the  one  intended  for  him  or  her  by  nature's 
law  designed?"  said  Corinna. 

"Certainly  not,"  replied  Gervino. 

"But  is  it  possible  for  one  to  know  to  a  certainty 
when  he  has  found  that  other  half?"  queried  Edith. 

"It  is  not  only  possible,  but  easy  and  certain. 
There  is  no  guess  work  in  nature.  The  mistakes  oc- 
cur when  man — conceited,  selfish  man — interferes 
with  God's  plans." 

"How  is  one  to  know  ?"  queried  Corinna. 

"There  is  an  infallible  rule  and  guide  given  to 
all,  more  liberally  to  women  than  to  men,  because 
women,  not  influenced  by  passion,  so  largely  as  men, 
are  more  likely  to  heed  it.  Were  this  guide  heeded, 
there  would  be  few  mistakes,  and  no  divorces,  more 
happiness  in  society  and  an  improved  race  of  people," 
replied  Gervino. 

"What  is  that  rule  and  guide?  If  I  am  not  too 
inquisitive?"  queried  Edith. 

"Love.  Real  love  is  the  guide.  Every  woman, 
if  she  searches  her  heart  honestly  and  casts  aside  all 
other  considerations,  can  determine  whether  she  loves 
or  don't  love.  So  can  men,  but  they  are  not  so  sure 
to  heed  the  language  of  the  heart." 

"Are  there  infallible  tests  ?"  inquired  Corinna. 

"There  are.  Rules  that  cannot  be  tested  before 
it  is  too  late,  are  worthless.  There  are  infallible  tests 
that  should  be  applied  and  precautions  that  should  be 


140  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

observed  and  warnings  that  should  be  heeded  before 
one  step  is  taken."  Here  Gervino  stopped  and  re- 
flected.    He  continued: 

"When  from  the  point  view  of  truth,  harmony, 
real  love,  I  look  out  upon  the  world,  groaning  and 
heaving  and  struggling  under  a  self-imposed  burden  of 
evil,  worry — and  reflect  upon  the  weak  and  inef- 
fectual attempts  made  to  relieve  it,  I  hardly  know 
what  to  say  to  you  ladies  who  seek  light.  Could  my 
weak  voice  reach  all  the  towering  peaks  of  human 
passion,  and  penetrate  all  the  pits  of  misery  where 
sin  is  wrung  out  in  suffering,  I  would  say  on  this 
subject  to  both  young  and  old: 

"Marriage  is  life's  casting  die.  No  event  from 
birth  to  death  equally  affects  human  weal  or  woe. 
That  happy,  all  is  well  and  life  is  one  delightful  balmy 
summer  day.  The  lamp  of  love  in  constant  lustre 
burns,  making  the  home  a  paradise  in  which  bright, 
sweet-tempered,  intellectual  children  honor  and  obey 
parents,  and  dwell  in  love  and  harmony.  Marriage 
unhappy,  all  is  wrong.  The  storms  of  passion  sweep 
a  desert  coast.  The  ship  of  life  encounters  cross  winds 
and  is  tossed  by  autumnal  storms.  Children  cross- 
grained,  ill-tempered,  disobedient,  erratic  and  quarrel- 
some. Such  a  home,  is  dark  and  dreary,  cold  and 
cheerless,  a  prison  from  which  escape  is  only  through 
divorce  or  suicide  and  these  expedients  only  store  up 
wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath." 

"Why  this  social  chaos,  this  moral  hiatus,  this 
Dead  Sea  fruit  where  only  luscious  apples  should  have 
grown?"  inquired  Corinna. 

"The  parents  made  a  mistake  in  the  outset.  They 
were  not  mated.  There  was  no  real  love.  No  affin- 
ity. Perhaps  they  mistook  human  passion  for  love; 
or  perhaps  it  was  marriage  for  convenience,  an  al- 
liance demanded  by  aristocratic  society,   a  marriage 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  141 

for  money,  a  business  partnership,  wherein  dollars 
were  expected  to  bind  hearts.  Or  maybe  it  was  a 
youthful  freak  entered  into  without  consideration  of 
its  responsibility  and  far-reaching  consequences.  I 
read  a  very  cheerfully  written  item  the  other  day  in  a 
newspaper  of  a  young  couple  down  east,  chance  ac- 
quaintances, who  went  out  riding.  As  the  item  read : 
'He  said  to  her  laughingly,  let  us  get  married. "  She 
answered  laughingly,  all  right.  They  procured  a 
license  and  found  a  minister  and  within  two  hours 
they  were  married.'  No  doubt,  thousands  of  thought- 
less young  people  would  regard  that  as  a  good  ro- 
mance, but  ladies,  there  is  no  romance  in  marriage. 
It  is  the  most  realistic  of  all  the  realities  of  life.  He 
who  trifles  with  the  heart,  plays  with  fire  and  powder. 
One  explosion ;  all  is  over.  He  carries  the  scar  of  the 
wound  to  the  grave  and  beyond  the  grave.  Hence, 
the  necessity  for  caution,  honesty  and  knowledge  at 
every  step  in  so  momentous  a  matter." 

The  ladies   listened  in  breathless   silence  as  the 
hermit  proceeded; 


D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
The;  Deserted  Bride. 

"Marriage  has  its  rationale  in  love.  Without 
love,  marriage  is  an  inexplicable  failure.  It  is  a 
divine  institution,  and  like  any  other  of  God's  ordi- 
nances it  cannot  be  diverted  from  its  purpose  without 
incurring  the  penalty.  It  has  one  object  only.  That 
object  is  the  propagation  of  the  human  race,  the  main- 
tenance of  society.  Those  who  divert  marriage  from 
this  sole  and  only  object,  transgress  an  imperative 
mandate  of  the  great  Creator  and  as  the  transgression 
is  grossly  wicked,  the  penalty  is  terrible,  swift  and 
certain. 

"But  these  dangers  are  not  set  as  a  trap  to  catch 
the  unwary.  There  are  certain  and  infallible  guides 
and  range  lights  for  all  who  will  heed.  They  are  not 
left  carelessly  to  be  displaced  by  men.  They  are 
written  in  words  of  fire  in  the  gospel.  And  as  some 
may  not  hear  or  see  the  real  gospel  in  an  age  of  man- 
made  religion,  other  guides  are  set  up  in  the  human 
heart  especially  in  the  feminine  heart.  It  is  given 
to  all  to  know  the  promptings  of  the  heart.  Every 
woman  is  endowed  with,  not  only  reason  and  obser- 
vation, but  with  an  intuition  or  prescience  that  stands 
like  a  sentinel  on  the  ramparts  of  reason  to  warn 
against  ambuscade  and  point  the  way  to  safety. 

"In  order  that  these  warnings  and  guides  may 
be  the  better  understood,  I  would  say  a  word  on  real 
genuine  love  and  mistaken  love,  mere  passion  or 
even  base  desire.  To  mistake  human  passion  for  love 
is  generally  fatal,  because  where  passion  controls  real 
love  is  absent — there  is  no  affinity.  And  where  the 
motives  of  marriage  are  purely  sordid,  such  as  marry- 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  143 

ing  for  money,  for  a  home,  for  support,  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  social  tyranny  so  conspicuous  among 
kings  and  nobles  and  even  merely  rich  nobodies,  the 
outcome  is  even  worse.  It  is  often  said,  'they  will 
learn  to  love  afterwards,'  But  they  will  not.  They 
do  not.  Of  course,  while  the  money  holds  out,  under 
the  tyranny  of  society  some  manage  to  maintain  an 
outward  semblance  of  harmony,  but  behind  the  scene 
Satan  mocks  misery.  Often  the  situation  becomes 
unbearable  and  then  comes  the  divorce  scandal  and 
even  then  few  of  the  dry  bones  of  the  skeleton  reach 
the  public  gaze, 

"Woman's  mission!  Why  was  she  dreated  a 
woman?  To  what  do  all  her  functions  point?  Why 
was  mother's  love  stamped  indelibly  in  her  soul? 
Why  was  this  divine  attribute  made  the  all  controlling 
passion  of  her  brightest  and  best  nature?  Why  is  the 
mother  endowed  with  the  seemingly  supernatural 
power  of  impressing  her  own  character,  her  beauti- 
ful ideals,  her  talents  and  culture,  upon  the  mind  of 
her  child?  Why  is  the  mother  empowered  and  com- 
missioned to  train  that  child  to  become  a  valued  citi- 
zen and  an  ornament  to  society?  Why  is  woman  by 
common  consent  the  sovereign  social  power,  the  queen 
of  society?  With  all  these  powers  and  responsibilties 
resting  upon  her  and  within  her  grasp,  to  correct  and 
protect  the  towering  evils  of  the  times,  a  few  un- 
sexed  women  are  seeking  to  discover  Woman's  mis- 
sion. 

"Courtship !  Marriage  being  the  rationale  of  love, 
and  love  being  the  necessary  condition  of  wedded  hap- 
piness, the  initial  step  toward  marriage  is  a  most  im- 
portant consideration.  That  step  is  courtship.  The  dawn 
of  love.  The  springtime  of  hope.  Sweet  season  of  bright 
anticipation.  Solemn  season  for  the  most  careful  and 
prayerful  caution.    The  pairing  instinct  is  the    high- 


144  D'MAliti  AFFINITY. 

est,  noblest  and  most  sublime  of  human  attributes. 
And  it  is  moreover  mandatory.  He  who  would  ignore 
this  ordinance  of  nature  must  prepare  his  back  for 
nature's  lash. 

"How  is  it  to  be  approached?  How  is  courtship 
to  begin  in  order  that  it  may  lead  to  happiness,  the 
desired,  and  if  wisely  begun,  the  predestined  end  ?  How 
is  the  well  intended  average  young  person  to  find  his 
or  her  affinity,  that  missing  half  so  necessary  to  make 
the  complete  one?  Is  that  one  who  can  insure  her 
happiness,  complete  her  existence,  among  the  young 
woman's  suitors,  or  is  he  separated  from  her  by 
mountain  peaks  and  wide  oceans?  The  young  man, 
too,  must  ask  himself  this  momentous  question. 
Everything  depends  upon  a  correct  answer.  In  case 
of  doubt,  who  is  to  be  the  umpire?  The  matter  must 
be  settled. 

"In  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  the  two  halves  are  in 
the  same  community — in  close  proximity.  Perhaps 
they  have  already  met.  Nature  is  harmony,  its  ten- 
dency is  to  put  everything  in  its  proper  place  for  pur- 
poses of  harmony.  Erroneous  mind,  selfishness,  slav- 
ery to  the  tyranny  of  distorted  society,  the  mandates 
of  blind  passion  are  the  blinds  that  shut  off  the  divine 
light.  These  barriers  to  happiness  are  all  of  mortal 
make.  As  long  as  man  will  maintain  them  he  must 
suffer  the  consequences." 

"Then  those  who  have  no  affinity  in  mortal  life 
should  not  marry  ?"  said  Corinna. 

"They  should  not  marry  in  mortal  life,  yet  they 
may  form  a  happy  union  with  their  affinity  in  the  im- 
mortal worlds." 

"Did  you  ever  see  one  who  had  formed  such  a 
union  ?" 

"I  have.  I  entered  into  such  a  union  myself. 
While  I  never  had  a  wife  in  mortal  life^  I  have  been 


D'MAMS  AFFINITY.  145 

truly  married  and  have  enjoyed  wedded  bliss  for  forty 
years." 

"Strange,"  said  Edith, 

"My  story  would  no  doubt  sound  strange,"  re- 
plied the  hermit. 

"Do  relate  it  for  us,"  said  Corinna.  "It  will  in- 
terest us  and  be  beneficial  too." 

"There  is  indeed  a  lesson  in  it,  to  those  who  are 
in  a  frame  of  mind  to  understand.  But  I  must  ask  of 
each  of  you  ladies  a  solemn  promise  that  you  will 
never  identify  me  with  the  story  should  you  repeat 
it  while  I  live." 

The  promise  was  given  and  the  ladies  awaited 
the  story  in  breathless  expectation. 

"Seventy-five  years  ago,  I  was  born  in  the  sunny 
land  of  Italy.  My  ancestors  were  Chaldeans.  The 
Chaldeans  were  far  in  advance  of  their  age  in  what 
was  known  then  as  the  occult.  The  shepherds  on  the 
hills  of  Chaldea  first  saw  the  star  of  Bethlehem.  They 
saw  the  rays  of  light  that  reached  the  spot  where  the 
Messiah  was  born.  These  simple  minded  shepherds 
heard  the  singing  angels  as  they  came  on  the  rays  of 
light  to  celebrate  the  renewel  of  communication  be- 
tween this  planet  and  the  immortal  worlds,  which  had 
been  severed  by  the  fall  of  the  rebellious  angels.  They 
were  the  wise  men  who  came  from  the  east  to  adore 
and  there  were  more  than  three  of  them.  They  were 
hundreds. 

"As  I  said,  my  ancestry  comes  down  from  these 
shepherds.  My  father  was  well  to  do.  He  gave  me  a 
splendid  education.  When  I  arrived  at  man's  estate 
I  loved  Alitea,  a  beautiful  girl.  She  was  pure  and 
good  as  she  was  beautiful.  We  were  betrothed  but  I 
was  wild  and  wayward.  I  didn't  appreciate  the  prize 
I  had  won.  I  was  unworthy  of  her.  I  associated  with 
wicked  young  men  of  wealth  and  education,  culture 
and  so-called  refinement,  the  young  men,  who  of  all 


146  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

are  the  most  dangerous;  through  the  influence  of 
wealth  and  connections  they  are  able  to  lead  wicked 
lives  and  yet  gloss  them  over  with  the  glamour  of  so- 
cial refinement.  Beware  of  these  young  men  who  sow 
the  wind,  if  you  associate  with  them,  you  will  some 
day  reap  the  whirlwind. 

"Our  wedding  day  was  set.  Everything  was  in 
readiness.  Through  the  influence  of  some  friends  I 
abandoned  my  bride  at  the  altar.  I  ran  away.  Her 
heart  was  broken.  In  one  week  she  died.  I  was  on 
my  way  back  to  beg  forgiveness  and  make  amends, 
when  I  read  of  her  death.  I  could  not  return  to  the 
scenes  of  my  crime.  I  dare  not.  My  remorse  was 
terrible.  Sleeping  or  waking  my  crime  was  with  me. 
I  tried  to  smother  it  in  my  heart,  but  could  not.  The 
human  heart  was  never  intended  as  a  receptacle  for 
such  a  monster. 

"One  night  Alitea  came  to  me  in  a  dream — or 
rather  a  vision.  She  was  radiant  in  beauty,  clad  in 
the  pearly  raiment  in  which  nature  apparels  her  fav- 
orite mountains  in  the  springtime.  I  dare  not  ap- 
proach her ;  I  could  only  beg  forgiveness.  She  granted 
it  freely.  I  begged  her  to  come  back  to  me,  but  she 
shook  her  head  mournfully  as  she  replied:  'No,  that 
cannot  be.  You  can  come  to  me,  however,  if  you  will 
It  all  depends  upon  your  choice.  I  can  and  will  help 
you,  if  you  will  accept  help.' 

"I  felt  much  relieved  after  this,  but  I  was  un- 
happy. I  could  not  banish  from  my  mind,  the  mem- 
ory of  my  crime  and  the  remorse  that  ever  comes 
with  remembrance. 

"After  that  AHtea  came  to  me  often  in  visions.  She 
tried  to  cheer  me,  but  the  shade  of  a  dark  sin  still  hung 
over  me.  On  one  of  my  visits  to  her  realm  of  bliss  I 
suggested  to  her  that  the  ceremony  which  made  us 
one,  be  performed.  She  complied  with  my  request.  A 
pious  old  apostle  who  had  long  prior  passed  over,  met 


B'MABS  AFFINITY.  147 

us  at  the  altar  In  a  grand  cathedral.  The  organ  played, 
the  choir  sang  and  the  nuptial  ceremony  was  per- 
formed, just  as  originally  contemplated.  It  was  far 
more  realistic  than  in  mortal  life.  I  was  free  from  the 
distractions  and  passions  of  mortality.  I  had  left  all 
these  with  my  sleeping  body.  After  our  marriage  she 
came  to  me,  or  I  went  to  her,  in  all  my  dreaming  hours 
and  I  have  slept  and  dreamt  far  more  than  half  the 
time. 

"When  the  Italian  war  came  on,  I  was  expected 
to  take  up  arms.  I  consulted  Alitea.  She  informed  me 
that  all  war  is  murder  on  both  sides.  War  is  opposed 
to  harmony.  She  advised  me  to  leave  Italy  and  seek 
a  quiet  retreat  where  we  could  dwell  in  harmony 
with  nature.  I  came  here  forty  years  ago.  She  ac- 
companied me.  She  is  with  me,  not  only  during  sleep, 
but  in  all  my  waking  hours.  I  am  unable  now  to  de- 
cide which  life  is  the  real  one,  this  mortal  life  or  my 
sleeping  life  when  she  seems  to  be  absolutely  real. 
At  such  times,  that  seems  the  real  life  and  this  one  is 
the  disturbed  and  unsatisfactory  dream." 

"Can  you  converse  with  Alitea  now  in  your  wak- 
ing hours?"  inquired  Edith. 

"Yes,  Mdlle.  I  have  conversed  with  her  since 
we  sat  down  here.  But  in  order  to  see  her  when 
awake,  I  must  close  these  mortal  eyes  and  open  my 
real  eyes." 

"This  all  seems  so  strange,  for  you  to  be  con- 
stantly in  the  presence  of  death  and  on  the  verge  of 
the  unknown,"  said  Edith. 

Gorvino  smiled  as  he  replied:  "Death.  What  you 
call  death  has  no  terrors  for  me.  It  is  only  a  delight- 
ful awakening  from  a  troubled  dream." 

"But  the  awful  suffering  in  death." 

"Putting  off  the  old  raiment  and  putting  on  the 
new  is  not  death.  The  mortal  mind  has  enveloped  this 
change  in  awe  and  surrounded  it  with  terrors.    When 


148  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

the  mortal  body  sleeps  and  the  soul  enters  another 
state  of  consciousness  known  as  dreamland,  all  there 
is  in  death  has  been  experienced.  The  mortal  func- 
tions of  the  body  continues  in  sleep,  because  the  soul 
again  is  to  return.  When  it  takes  its  final  departure, 
no  more  to  return,  all  mortal  functions  cease.  You 
speak  of  being-  on  the  verge  of  the  unknown.  You  are 
on  the  verge  of  the  unknown  all  the  time.  To  the 
spiritual  mind  that  sees  in  the  light  of  faith,  there  is 
no  unknown.  Even  while  imprisoned  in  its  cerement 
of  physical  matter,  the  spirit  takes  excursions  beyond 
mortal  experiences  and  even  enters  the  borderlands  of 
the  higher  "heavens  and  meets  friends  already  there. 
When  it  returns  to  the  body  in  sleep  it  is  unable  to 
show  forth  the  glory  it  saw.  It  finds  itself  shut  ofif 
by  the  window  blinds  of  mortal  mind,  which  lives  in  a 
little  limited  world  of  its  own  creation  and  arrogantly 
declares  that  there  is  nothing  beyond." 

"When  you  leave  this  mortal  body,  do  you  and 
Alitea  have  real  bodies  ?" 

"Certainly.  Mind  is  the  only  real  reality  in  the 
Universe.  Its  power  is  unlimited  except  by  the  mater- 
ial agency  through  which  it  acts — the  physical  body 
for  instance.  Mind  controls  matter  absolutely.  Even 
perishable  mortal  mind  exerts  power  over  matter,  but 
always  for  evil,  for  misery  and  for  sujffering. 

"All  thought  is  potent.  Spiritual  thought  is  eter- 
nal— imperishable.  It  is  for  good  and  it  goes  forth 
doing  good  for  all  times  and  adds  lustre  to  the  divine  or 
real  light.  Mortal  thought  is  error,  merely  negative,  a 
sort  of  vacuum ;  and  while  it  goes  forth  on  its  mission 
of  sin  and  suffering,  it  ceases  to  exist  when  mind  be- 
comes harmonious  and  consequently  good.  When  an 
evil  thought  receives  the  consent  of  the  will  and  is 
harbored  and  no  effort  made  to  supplant  it  by  a  good 
thought,  the  sin  is  committed  and  the  penalty  in- 
curred, so  far  as  the  mind  is  concerned.     Thought  is 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  149 

little  understood.  There  is  not  a  spot  In  the  universe 
that  good  thought  does  not  reach.  Evil  thought  is 
confined  to  the  earth  and  ever  returns  to  its  promoter 
to  curse  and  punish  him.  I  have  no  fear  of  what  is 
termed  death,  but  I  fear  and  tremble  to  harbor  or  send 
forth  a  baleful  message  to  any  living  creature." 


150  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 


XVII. 

Corinna's  Occult  Powe:r. 

Three  weeks  later  the  party  reached  Genoa.  The 
ladies  were  in  ecstacies  over  their  tour  of  the  Alps. 
They  had  made  a  few  sketches  but  had  little  time  for 
colors.  They  were  much  concerned  over  Mr.  Rock- 
well whose  health  had  not  improved.  Corinna  had 
firm  faith  in  the  prediction  of  Gervino.  But  Edith's 
hopes  were  almost  shattered.  Only  one  week  remained 
for  the  verification  of  the  prophecy.  The  following 
day  they  were  to  start  for  Liverpool.  That  would  be 
the  end  of  the  cruise  and  Corinna  and  Edith  were 
sorry.  They  had  just  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the 
cruise  and  they  could  keep  it  up  a  year. 

That  night  Edith  dreamt  that  her  father  was 
cured,  and  that  Corinna  was  the  physician.  She 
promptly  informed  Corinna  of  her  dream  the  next 
morning. 

"I  have  had  an  inspiration  ever  since  we  met  Ger- 
vino that  I  would  be  instrumental  in  effecting  the  cure 
of  your  father,"  replied  Corinna.  "1  have  had  sev- 
eral conversations  with  him  leading  up  to  a  cure.  You 
see  the  mind  must  be  prepared  not  only  to  accept  the 
light,  but  to  seek  it.  I  feel  assured  that  he  is  prepared 
for  the  final  treatment." 

"And  you  will  give  it  to-day  and  he  will  be  cured. 
I  know  it  for  I  never  had  so  impressive  a  dream  be- 
fore." 

"I  am  sure  the  final  test  will  succeed  for  I  have 
had  an  inspiration  that  amounts  to  a  revelation." 

"If  this  prophecy  of  Gervino  is  fulfilled,  we  can 
rely  upon  all  he  said,  can't  we."  said  Edith. 

"I  think  we  can  rely  on  Gervino.  His  instruc- 
tions are  so  clear  and  his  councils  so  wise.*' 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  151 

Early  in  the  day  they  set  out  to  sea.  The  city  of 
Genoa  was  gradually  lost  in  the  shadow  of  the  lofty 
mountain  that  loomed  up  in  the  background.  The 
party  sat  under  the  canopy  and  enjoyed  the  delicious 
breeze  that  fanned  the  deep  blue  waters. 

"I  had  a  strange  and  impressive  dream  last 
night,"  remarked  Mr.  Rockwell.  "I  would  not  men- 
tion it  were  not  the  ladies  so  intensely  interested  in 
dreams." 

Edith  cast  a  glance  at  Corinna  who  evidenced  no 
concern. 

"Let  us  hear  the  dream,"  said  Mr.  Vanstine.  "I 
had  a  dream  myself  and  I  would  give  millions  for  its 
fulfillment." 

"Tell  yours  first,"  said  Mr.  Rockwell. 

"No.  I  hardly  think  I  shall  relate  it.  But  yours 
is  due  first  at  any  rate,"  remarked  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"Yes,"  chimed  in  Corinna,  "you  first  spoke  of 
your  dream.     We  are  anxious  to  hear  it." 

Mr.  Rockwell  looked  about  cautiously  as  he  re- 
marked that  relating  dreams  seemed  rather  foolish. 

"There  are  no  reporters  here.  Go  ahead,"  said 
Mr.  Vanstine. 

"You  may  be  surprised!  to  learn  that  I  have  been 
aided  in  some  of  the  greatest  transactions  of  my  life, 
by  dreams." 

"Good,"  remarked  M'r.  Vanstine  with  a  hearty 
laugh.  "How  that  would  sizzle  on  the  wires  and  in 
the  headlines,  'Mr.  Rockwell  a  Dreamer.' " 

"Let  us  hear  the  dream,"  urged  Edith.  "We 
can't  endure  this  suspense." 

"It  ran  like  this,"  said  Mr.  Rockwell.  "I  was  in 
what  seemed  to  be  a  dark  rock-bound  cave  or  dungeon. 
The  darkness  was  intensely  oppressive.  I  had  a  vast 
sum  of  gold  hid  in  the  vault  and  there  were  robbers 
searching  for  it.  They  had  no  light  and  I  feared  that 
they  would  find  one.     For  this  reason  I  was  pleased 


152  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

with  the  darkness.  The  robbers  finally  departed.  Then 
I  wanted  light  but  could  get  none.  I  could  find  no 
outlet.  There  I  was  with  my  gold.  I  became  very 
hungry ;  I  was  alarmed ;  my  nerves  gave  way ;  I  sank 
to  the  floor.  I  knew  there  was  an  exit,  but  without 
light  I  could  not  find  it.  I  prayed  for  light.  Finally 
I  saw  a  dim  light  in  the  distance.  It  came  nearer.  I 
fancied  that  the  robbers  were  returning  with  a  light. 
I  did  not  care  much  now  for  the  gold.  I  was  in  a  state 
of  nervous  prostration  and  starving  to  death.  My  life 
was  all  I  cared  for.  The  light  moved  near,  it  grew 
more  brilliant.  It  was  carried  by  a  beautiful  woman. 
I  noticed  as  she  came  nearer  that  she  was  an  angel." 

"Of  course  you  are  an  expert  on  angels,"  re- 
marked Mr.  Vanstine  with  a  laugh  in  which  all  joined. 

"Well,  it  was  an  angel  just  the  same.  The  light 
became  intense.  The  vault  was  transform^ed  into  a 
magnificent  dining  room.  I  thought  the  room  looked 
familiar.  On  closer  inspection  I  discerned  that  it  was 
the  dining  room  of  the  yacht.  The  angel  laid  che  table. 
It  was  a  most  delicious  spread.  I  ate  everything  my 
appetite  craved.  I  suddenly  remembered  that  I  had 
violated  all  the  rules  of  my  diet  card.  The  angel 
smiled  over  my  alarm  and  said,  'That  is  all  nonsense. 
There  is  nothing  the  matter  with  you.' 

"This  scene  quickly  changed,  as  dreams  go.  I 
was  in  New  York.  I  seemed  to  be  engaged  in  a  col- 
ossal 'corner'  on  stocks.  My  object  was  to  do  up 
Wall  street.  I  wanted  to  clean  it  up,  yet  I  felt  sorry 
for  the  victims.  I  had  some  great  beneficial  object  in 
view,  not  personal  gain.  For  that  I  cared  naught.  In 
some  way  I  was  to  benefit  the  world.  But  I  cannot 
now  remember  how." 

"Did  your  corner  win  out?"  inquired  Mr.  Van- 
stine, and  Edith  smiled. 

"O  yes.  Wall  Street  was  trimmed  to  a  finish," 
replied  Mr.  Rockwell,  as  the  old  look  of  determination 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  153 

spread  over  his  face.  "It  was  terrible,  however.  Banks 
broke,  strong  financial  institutions  tottered  and  failed 
— the  panic  spread.  Boston,  Philadelphia,  Chicago, 
St.  Louis — all  commercial  centers  were  involved  in  the 
cataclysm.  Strong  business  houses  tumbled  every- 
where. Potentates  of  finance  and  captains  of  indus- 
try, stood  with  blanched  faces  watching  the  cyclone 
which  they  could  not  stay.  Its  onward  and  downward 
progress,  they  were^powerless  to  stop.  Industrial  es- 
tablishments were  closed.  Labor  was  thrown  out  of 
employment.  Men  and  women,  young  and  old,  rich 
and  poor,  formed  in  long  lines  in  front  of  the  banks 
demanding  and  drawing  out  their  savings.  To  be 
brief,  the  Wall  Street  bluff  had  been  called.  The  in- 
flated bubble  had  collapsed.  The  watered  stocks  had 
passed  through  a  wringer.  Stocks  quoted  at  par  went 
begging  at  twenty-five  cents.  Boom  promotion  stocks 
were  so  watery  they  would  scarcely  burn  in  a  furnace." 

"And  you  felt  responsible,"  said  Edith. 

"I  did.  In  some  way  D'Mars  and  Vanstine  were 
associated  with  me.  But  I  felt  responsible  and  the 
singular  thing  was  that  I  thought  it  a  good  thing  and 
felt  pleased  over  it." 

"What  was  the  final  outcome?"  inquired  Mr. 
Vanstine. 

"I  awoke  before  the  reorganization  began.  I 
wish  I  could  have  seen  it  through,"  said  Mr.  Rock- 
well with  a  sigh.  "Now  what  is  the  interpretation  of 
my  dream,  Corinna,  you  are  our  prophet?" 

"I  do  not  profess  prophetic  vision,"  said  Cor- 
inna, "but  I  think  I  have  sufficient  inspiration  to  read 
your  dream,  Mr.  Rockwell.  It  was  vastly  more  than 
a  dream.  It  was  a  vision — a  revelation.  It  was  for 
your  guidance.  You  have  sought  ligbt  and  you  have 
seen  it.  Now,  I  will  ask  if  you  are  willing  to  follow  it 
and  retire  the  dark  past  to  the  rear?" 


164  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"I  would  give  half  my  possessions  this  moment 
for  restoration  to  health." 

"You  mean  physical  health." 

"I  do,  and  mental — I  mean  all  that  the  term  im- 
plies in  its  broadest  sense." 

"You  are  willing  to  follow  wherever  the  light 
leads?" 

"I  am." 

"That  promise  involves  much  more  than  you  im- 
agine possibly." 

"I  make  it  without  reservation." 

Corinna  closed  her  eyes  and  meditated  in  si- 
lence several  minutes;  she  finally  said: 

"Your  experience  in  the  dark  vault  or  dungeon 
in  care  of  a  vast  treasure  which  benefited  nobody  and 
worked  out  your  own  ruin,  is  a  retrospect  of  your  past. 
The  light  bearing  angel  and  your  restoration  to  health 
prefigures  your  future.  Your  experience  in  New  York 
indicates  that  you  will  use  your  vast  wealth  for  the 
welfare  of  humanity.  You  have  been  highly  favored 
in  wealth,  in  sickness,  in  inspiration,  in  restoration  to 
health  and  in  opportunity  to  spread  the  light." 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  that  my  health  is  restored?" 

"Your  faith  and  your  determination  to  seek  the 
light  of  truth  has  restored  your  health.  You  are  now 
fully  restored." 

With  her  last  words,  Corinna  opened  her  eyes, 
and  seemed  somewhat  bewildered.  With  a  smile  she 
apologized  for  going  to  sleep.  "But,"  said  she,  "I 
could  not  help  it." 

Mr.  Rockwell  and  Mr.  Vanstine  exchanged  sig- 
nificant glances  while  Edith  looked  from  one  to  the 
other  in  amazement. 

"You  were  not  asleep.  You  talked  all  the  time, 
Rinna." 

"It  was  a  dream  and  I  must  have  talked  in  my 
sleep.    What  did  I  say?" 


B'MARS  AFFINITY.  155 

Edith  repeated  her  words. 

"I  recollect  the  words  very  welL  In  my  dream  I 
was  on  a  lofty  mountain.  A  bright  light  surrounded 
me.  I  was  accompanied  by  a  bright  angel.  I  have 
often  seen  her  in  dreams.  She  stood  by  my  side.  Mr. 
Rockwell  approached  us.  He  inquired  the  meaning  of 
his  dream.    The  angel  spoke  the  words  you  heard." 

"Why  you  sat  in  that  chair  all  the  time.  It  was 
only  a  few  moments,  your  eyes  were  closed  and  you 
spoke  the  words  precisely  as  Edith  repeated  them," 
said  Mr.  Vanstine. 

During  the  conversation  Mr.  Rockwell  sat  as  one 
in  a  trance.  He  now  revived  himself  and  said,  "I 
thank  the  great  Master  for  the  words  spoken  by  His 
angel.  I  know  that  my  health  is  restored.  I  have 
been  favored  with  a  new  light  and  I  now  invoke  His 
assistance  in  carrying  out  my  resolutions." 

"I  know  you  are  healed,  papa,"  said  Edith,  "for 
I  saw  it  all  in  a  dream  last  night." 

"Why  should  I  be  favored  by  this  supernatural 
manifestation  of  divine  love  and  grace?"  said  Mr. 
Rockwell. 

"It  may  seem  strange,  but  is  it  supernatural? 
Who  can  say  where  the  natural  ends  and  the  super- 
natural begins?  God  created  us  and  made  fixed  and 
immovable  laws  to  govern  us  and  insure  our  happi- 
ness. The  supernatural  means  a  suspension  of  His 
laws.  He  only  can  suspend  them.  Who  can  say, 
what  right  has  any  one  to  think  or  say  that  a  God  of 
infinite  love,  wisdom  and  power  cannot  cure  disease 
without  suspending  the  operation  of  His  own  laws? 
No,  Mr.  Rockwell,  you  have  been  cured  by  perfectly 
natural  means — the  means  by  which  all  disease  of 
mind,  and  body  through  mind,  can  be  cured,  if  we  only 
go  about  it  right." 

"Do  you  believe,  Corinna,  that  for  one  to  depart 
from  or  vacate  his  body  and  behold  an  angel  while 


156  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

that  angel  speaks  by  means  of  the  vacated  body,  is  a 
natural  thing?"  queried  Mr.  Vanstine, 

"I  certainly  regard  that  perfectly  natural.  And 
I  believe  that  nature  holds  secrets  more  wonderful 
than  that.  What  we  term  death  is  merely  the  casting 
off  of  the  old  and  putting  on  the  new.  In  so-called 
death  we  fall  asleep  to  this  present  mortal  existence 
and  awake  to  a  higher  and  better,  providing  we  make 
the  best  use  of  this.  For  us  who  are  endowed  with 
immortal  spirits  there  is  no  death.  Every  time  we 
sleep  we  experience  all  there  is  in  death,  except,  the 
mortal  fear  which  we  have  unwisely  cultivated  and 
nurtured." 

"That  seems  reasonable,"  said  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"Why  cannot  we  learn  a  lesson  from  the  flowers 
of  the  field?"  continued  Corinna. 

"August  is  the  heyday  of  floral  and  vegetable  na- 
ture. It  symbolizes  man  in  his  prime.  September's 
breezes  sigh  for  the  exuberance  of  vernal  bloom  and 
summer  harvest,  and  foretell  winter  afar.  October's 
frost  is  the  chemical  that  transforms  the  beauty  of 
spring  into  colors,  and  clothes  the  forest  in  azure  hue. 
At  its  touch  flowers  and  grasses  die — ^they  return  to 
the  conservatory  whence  they  came.  November's 
chilly  blast  strips  the  trees  and  the  growth  of  vegeta- 
tion is  no  more.  December  locks  the  remains  in  its 
frozen  embrace  and  kindly  wraps  all  nature  in  a  wind- 
ing sheet  of  snow.  In  April  dawns  the  morning  of 
resurrection.  Gentle  showers  wake  the  sleeping. 
There  was  no  death,  no  suffering.  The  flowers  have 
no  mortal  mind  to  make  them  suffer.  They  obey,  they 
put  on  the  new  vesture.  Every  plant  and  flower  shows 
forth  God's  power.  They  glorify  Him  in  their  beauty. 
They  praise  Him  in  their  perfume.  They  honor  Him 
in  their  obedience.  Only  those  who  study  nature  and 
read  aright  its  lesson  can  know  God  and  obey  His 
mandates.    This  change  of  mortal  raiment  which  we, 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.        '  157 

in  the  folly  of  our  pride  and  pomp  fear,  is  not  death. 
There  is  no  death,  except  the  transgression  of  God's 
ordinances,  made  solely  for  our  happiness." 

"But  the  flowers  make  no  progress,"   said  Mr. 
Vanstine. 

"No,  they  make  no  progress.  There  is  no  true 
progress,  except  to  return  to  the  state  of  happiness 
from  which  man  fell  when  he  rebelled  against  the  laws 
that  govern  nature.  The  flowers  did  not  rebel  or  fall, 
consequently  they  have  no  progress  to  make.  One 
flower  blooms  in  the  forest  unseen  and  sheds  its  frag- 
rance on  the  desert  air.  Its  sister  blooms  in  the  gar- 
den. It  adorns  the  banquet  board,  perchance  it  may 
grace  the  brow  of  a  queen.  The  woodland  rose  is 
neither  jealous  nor  envious  over  the  good  fortune  that 
befalls  its  sister.  In  tones  inaudible  it  sings  its  song 
to  the  dewdrops  and  in  its  beauty  and  obedience  it 
praises  its  Creator  as  ferA^ently  as  does  the  favored  rose 
of  the  conservatory.  Man  alone  makes  progress,  and 
he  has  much  to  make  before  he  can  compare  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  lily  of  the  valley." 

"I  have  gained  more  wisdom  on  this  trip  than  all 
the  educational  institutions  I  have  endowed  could 
give  me,"  said  Mr.  Rockwell.  "I  now  realize  the  true 
meaning  of  'What  doth  it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the 
whole  world  and  lose  his  soul.'  Lose  his  all,  includ- 
ing health,  peace  of  mind,  happiness,  absolution  from 
the  fear  of  death.  I  now  realize  that  peace  of  mind, 
happmess,  that  love  that  begets  love,  are  Heaven. 
Hence  forward,  I  shall  try  to  make  the  world  better 
because  of  my  having  lived  in  it." 

"That  is  the  true  spirit.  The  way  to  love  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself  is  to  abolish  self— forget  self.  Just 
seek  to  make  others  happy.  Remember  also  that  you 
will  have  severe  trials.  You  and  others  have  been' se- 
lected to  give  the  world  an  object  lesson.  You  shall 
show  to  the  world  the  possibilities  and  the  dangers  of 


168  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

greed  and  competition.  The  idol  of  wealth  worship 
and  the  injustice  which  maintains  it  must  be  smashed. 
There  will  be  suffering.  You  will  be  upbraided  and 
vilified.  You  shall  meet  terrible  temptations.  Then 
will  your  faith  and  resolution  be  tested  as  by  fire.  But 
if  with  prophetic  vision,  and  the  true  spirit  of  apos- 
tleship,  you  fix  your  eye  upon  the  horizon  of  futurity 
and  turn  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left,  you  shall 
triumph,"  said  Corinna. 

"You  frighten  me." 

"There  is  nothing  to  fear,  except  your  own  weak- 
ness. You  shall  have  light  and  inspiration  at  every 
step.  Cultivate  the  former  and  heed  the  latter.  These 
things  I  speak  by  the  inspiration  that  comes  to  me.  I 
miust  speak  them." 

The  cruise  continued  two  weeks.  Mr.  Rock- 
well's health  was  fully  restored.  He  gained  twelve 
pounds  during  the  fortnight.  Corinna  was  landed  at 
her  home  and  Edith  accompanied  her  father  and  Mr. 
Vanstine  to  London,  soon  to  return  to  Corinna  and 
continue  her  studies. 

Mr.  Rockwell  employed  every  possible  effort  to 
induce  Corinna  to  accompany  the  party  to  his  home 
in  New  York,  but  Corinna  was  deaf  to  all  persuasion. 
Edith  was  loth  to  part  from  Corinna  whom  she  had 
learned  to  love  as  a  sister.  It  was  therefore  planned 
for  Edith  to  remain  with  Corinna  for  the  present  and 
for  both  to  visit  New  York  later  in  the  season. 

On  her  return  to  Corinna  in  Italy,  Edith  was  ac- 
companied by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chapman,  of  Chicago,  old 
friends  of  Mr.  Rockwell  and  Mr.  Vanstine,  who  were 
making  a  tour  of  the  continent.  The  party  stopped 
several  days  in  Paris,  sightseeing.  One  night  at  the 
Grand  Opera  they  noticed  a  distinguished  appearing 
gentleman  in  a  near  by  box.  who  seemed  to  be  deeply 
smitten  by  Edith.  Indeed  he  scarcely  removed  his 
eyes  from  the  Chapman  box.    During  intermission  he 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  169 

sought  an  introduction  to  the  Chapmans,  which  was 
easily  procured,  as  all  were  well  known  and  stood  high 
in  social  ranks. 

So  it  came  about  that  Edith  and  Lord  Caledon 
were  introduced.  The  young  lord  was  handsome, 
dignified  and  highly  cultured.  He  was  a  younger  son, 
but  through  the  death  of  his  elder  brother  without  is- 
sue, he  became  the  heir  in  fact  to  vast  landed  estates. 
He  had  seen  much  of  the  world  and  wore  that  air  of 
smooth  polish  and  refinement  which  captivates  and 
charms.  He  and  Edith  chatted  pleasantly  during  the 
remainder  of  the  performance.  Lord  Caledon  ex- 
plained to  her  many  points  in  the  play.  Told  her  of 
his  roving  life  and  the  follies  of  the  world  and  of  his 
desire  to  settle  down.  It  was  Edith's  first  love  affair 
and  it  was  evident  to  all  who  noticed  the  couple  that 
Lord  Caledon  had  made  an  impression. 

Two  days  later  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Win- 
chester gave  a  luncheon  in  honor  of  Lord  Caledon  and 
the  Chapmans  and  Edith  were  invited.  Such  an  invi- 
tation was  regarded  as  the  top  notch  for  even  wealthy 
Americans.  Mrs.  Chapman  was  ambitious.  She  knew 
that  the  social  victory  would  be  cabled  to  English  and 
American  society  papers.  She  experienced  a  slight 
misgiving  as  to  whether  this  was  the  proper  thing  for 
Edith,  who  was  temporarily  in  her  care.  Besides, 
Edith  had  nothing  to  wear,  suitable  for  the  occasion, 
and  the  time  was  too  short  to  order.  To  accept  and 
omit  Edith  would  never  do  for  she  shrewdly  suspected 
that  the  invitation  was  due  to  Edith.  On  the  other 
hand,  how  could  she  forego  such  an  opportunity  for 
social  distinction  ?  No  harm  could  come  of  it.  Lord 
Caledon  was  a  perfect  gentleman  and  the  social  lion  of 
Paris. 

In  her  perplexity  she  consulted  Edith.  They  can- 
vassed the   situation    from    every   conceivable   stand- 


160  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

point.    Edith  was  inclined  to  accept,  but  she  had  noth- 
ing with  her  that  was  suitable  to  wear. 

"You  are  both  of  a  size,  why  not  have  one  of  your 
gowns  that  has  not  been  worn,  fixed  over  for  Edith?" 
said  Mr.  Chapman. 

Here  was  an  inspiration.  It  solved  the  problem. 
Mrs.  Chapman's  gown  was  a  perfect  fit  for  Edith.  The 
invitation  was  accepted,  and  the  next  twenty-four 
hours  was  devoted  to  dressmaking  and  millinery.  The 
reception  was  a  swell  affair.  Lord  Caledon  and  Edith 
were  at  their  best  and  were  the  subject  of  many  com- 
pliments. After  Edith  sang  she  was  the  star  of  the 
occasion.  Many  distinguished  ladies  exchanged  cards 
with  her.  The  musical  critics  went  into  ecstacies  over 
her  and  the  social  gates  were  thrown  wide  open.  It 
is  needless  to  say  that  Lord  Caledon  made  hay  while 
the  sun  shone,  and  when  Edith  returned  to  Corlnna 
she  carried  with  her  his  image. 

She  informed  Corinna  of  her  conquest,  but  stout- 
ly maintained  that  she  was  still  heart  whole.  Corinna 
sympathized  with  her  for  she  had  not  forgotten  her 
own  brief  romance. 

"Lord  Caledon  is  undoubtedly  one  of  your  two 
lovers.  Which  is  he,  the  worthy  one  or  the  knave?" 
remarked  Corinna  and  they  laughed  heartily. 

The  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  gave  Messrs. 
Rockwell  and  Vanstine  a  fine  opportunity  to  consider 
and  mature  plans  for  the  future.  They  were  deeplv 
impressed  with  their  recent  experience.  They  were 
carried  away  with  Corinna.  Her  womanly  grace, 
wisdom  and  knowledge,  and  perception  far  in  advance 
of  her  years ;  her  purity  and  firmness  of  character, 
and,  crowning  all,  her  absorbing  love  and  sympathy 
for  those  who  suffer  had  fairly  captivated  these  two 
men  of  the  world.  They  had  moreover  come  to  re- 
gard her  as  an  oracle  and  were  ready  to  obey  her 
merest  word. 

They  had  made  and  discarded  plan  after  plan 
and  finally  concluded  to  leave  the  matter  in  abeyance 
until  they  arrived  on  the  ground. 


B'MAES  AFFINITY.  ItJl 

XVIII. 

Trimming  Wall  StrkivT. 

Upon  arriving  in  New  York  Mr.  Rockwell  pro- 
ceeded to  his  rural  home  and  Mr.  Vanstine  engaged 
lodgings  at  the  Rexmacher,  a  fine  modern  hostelry, 
that  made  the  Waldorf-Astoria  and  the  Manhattan 
look  small  as  a  nickel's  worth  of  trust  beef.  On  read- 
ing his  evening  paper,  Mr.  Vanstine  noticed  the  ar- 
rival of  D'Mars  at  the  same  hostelry.  The  item  went 
on  to  state  that  D'Mars  had  closed  out  his  holdings 
in  Australia  and  was  now  the  possessor  of  one  billion 
dollars  in  cold  cash.  He  was  the  luckiest  man  ever 
born  and  his  movements  were  regarded  with  the  great- 
est anxiety  in  financial  circles. 

Mr.  Vanstine  dropped  the  paper  with  the  mental 
exclamation,  "The  man  we  need.  He  can  give  us  an 
idea." 

Glancing  about  the  great  lobby,  his  eye  quickly 
rested  upon  a  young  man  surrounded  by  reporters. 
As  he  approached  the  group,  his  steps  were  arrested 
by  the  conversation.  Unperceived  by  D'Mars.  he 
stood  and  listened. 

"You  are  now  regarded  as  the  greatest  mining 
expert  in  the  world.  Would  you  mind  telling  the  pub- 
lic how  you  acquired  such  special  knowledge  ?" 

"By  a  dream,"  replied  D'Mars. 

"Then  you  knew  that  gold  was  there  before  you 
engaged  in  mining?"  replied  the  reporter. 

"I  knew  it  was  there  before  we  started  the  Multo 
shaft  and  more  than  that,  I  now  know  how  much 
there  is  of  it.  They  can  take  out  $2,000,000,000  dur- 
ing the  next  ten  years  and  still  there  will  be  gold  left. 
How  I  know  this  is  a  secret  that  I  may  some  day  re- 
veal, but  now  I  would  not  even  discuss  it." 


162  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"Is  it  something  supernatural?  We  all  remem- 
ber your  remarkable  trance." 

"I  do  not  know.  To  me  it  looked  very  natural 
as  we  mined  it." 

"Your  dream — was  it  supernatural?" 

"Supernatural?  What  do  you  mean  by  superna- 
tural?" 

"Phenomena,  beyond  nature."  remarked  a  bright 
young  man  just  out  of  college. 

"How  do  you  know  when  phenomena  is  beyond 
nature  and  inexplicable  by  the  laws  of  nature?" 

"We  have  the  laws  of  nature  down  pretty  fine  in 
our  colleges,"  said  the  young  man. 

"You  are  too  learned  for  me,"  said  D'Mars.  "I 
cannot  fully  explain  the  simplest  phenomena  of  nature, 
for  instance,  the  life-giving  principle  in  a  blade  of 
grass  or  flower.  There  are  millions  of  living  things 
within  an  arm's  length  of  me  that  I  know  comparative- 
ly nothing  about.  I  can't  see  them  with  the  naked 
eye,  yet  scientists  say  they  are  there  and  I  believe 
them.  No,  I  am  imable  to  draw  the  line  between  the 
natural  and  the  supernatural.  I  must  first  know  all 
about  nature  and  the  laws  that  govern  it." 

"Do  you  expect  to  engage  in  business  in  New 
York?" 

"I  may.  but  as  yet  I  have  no  plans.  I  have  abso- 
lutely nothing  to  give  out." 

At  this  juncture  D'Mars'  eye  fell  upon  Mr.  Van- 
stine.  Breaking  through  the  cordon  of  scribes,  he 
seized  Mr.  Vanstine  by  both  hands. 

Mr.  Vanstine  warmly  congratulated  him  on  his 
wonderful  success. 

"And  I  owe  it  all  to  you  and  primarily  to — that 
dish  of  sour  Dolphin  milk." 

"Your  coat  of  arms  should  bea  Dolphin  swim- 
ming in  a  pail  of  milk,"  remarked  Mr.  Vanstine. 

The  reporters  smiled  and  made  a  note  as  they 
insisted  on  the  Dolphin  story. 


B'MAES  AFFINITY.  163 

Mr.  Vanstine  related  the  incident  in  his  inimitable 
way  and  the  reporters  retired  pleased,  for  they  had  got 
something  on  which  to  hang  a  good  story  after  all. 

Mr.  Vanstine  confided  to  D'Mars  the  story  of 
their  cruise,  the  cure  of  Mr.  Rockwell,  the  wonderful 
woman  Corinna  and  her  interpretation  of  Rockwell's 
dream. 

"Remarkable,  yet  perfectly  natural,"  remarked 
D'Mars  abstractedly. 

"Perfectly  natural"  repeated  Mr.  Vanstine. 
"Can  you  explain  it  by  natural  laws?" 

"I  understand  it  perfectly,  but  only  those  who 
have  had  my  experience  could  understand  my  ex- 
planation." 

"Have  you  had  similar  experience?" 

"I  have,  only  much  more  similar,  if  I  may  coin  a 
phrase. 

D'Mars  now  related  his  early  life;  his  boyish 
love ;  his  vision ;  the  hermit's  advice ;  the  murder  of 
Mrs.  Fordyce  and  the  disappearance  of  Azel ;  the  dis- 
covery of  the  buried  treasure  of  Multo;  his  unswerv- 
ing love  for  Ethel,  whom  he  believed  was  in  mortal 
life;  and  his  efforts  and  determination  to  find  her. 

"A  most  remarkable,  singular  and  mysterious 
combination  of  circumstances."  said  Mr.  Vanstine. 
"and  your  discovery  of  all  that  gold  is  tangible  proof. 
Are  you  sure  that  you  have  found  the  buried  treas- 
ure of  Multo?" 

"I  am  sure.  There  is  no  doubt  of  it.  I  am  also 
sure  that  Ethel  is  my  affinity  and  that  I  shall  find  her." 

"What  are  you  doing  to  find  her?" 

"I  am  following  where  the  light  leads.  I  am  try- 
ing to  heed  my  inspirations.  I  had  an  inspiration  to 
close  out  in  Australia  and  come  here.  I  am  now 
awaiting  inspiration." 

The  following  dav  they  called  on  Mr.  Rockwell 
at  his  office  and  had  dinner  with  him  at  his  residence 


164  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

in  the  evening.  The  story  of  the  cruise  on  the  Medi- 
terranean and  the  cure  of  Mr.  Rockwell;  his  strange 
dream  and  Corinna's  interpretation  were  fully  dis- 
cussed. D'Mars  related  his  story  to  j\Ir.  Rockwell 
and  assured  him  of  his  determination  to  find  Ethel. 

"Were  we  to  indulge  this  sort  of  talk  in  the  busi- 
ness world  we  would  be  considered  crazy,"  remarked 
Mr.  Vanstine. 

"All  men  in  all  ages  who  sought  spiritual  light 
and  followed  divine  inspiration  were  considered  crazy 
by  the  people  of  their  time,"  said  D'Mars. 

"The  martyrs  who  were  burned  at  the  stake  in 
one  age,  became  the  sages,  patriots  and  prophets  of 
the  next,"  remarked  Mr.  Rockwell. 

D'Mars  was  seriously  impressed  by  Corinna's 
interpretation  of  Mr.  Rockwell's  singular  dream  in 
which  he  cornered  Wall  street.  After  thoughtful 
consideration  he  said: 

"For  ages  on  ages  the  world  has  groaned  be- 
neath a  self-imposed  burden  of  selfishness,  greed,  in- 
justice, sin  and  suffering.  Mental  emancipation  must 
precede  physical.  An  object  lesson  must  precede 
preaching.  The  great  masses  can  be  reached  only 
through  their  stomach.  They  all  believe  in  the  com- 
petitive gambling  system  that  makes  billionaires  and 
paupers.  Five  percent  think  for  the  ninety-five.  The 
lesson  must  be  given  to  this  five  percent.  We  are  the 
prescribed  and  predestined  agents  who  shall  admin- 
ister this  object  lesson." 

"You  are  right,  D'Mars.  I  believe  in  an  object 
lesson.  Now,  how  shall  we  present  it?"  said  Mr. 
Rockwell. 

"Your  dream  and  Corinna's  interpretation  an- 
swer your  question,  all  except  the  details,"  replied 
D'Mars. 

"And  the  details?" 

"Trim  Wall  street.     Clean  it  up  to  a  finish.     Call 


D'MAltS  AFFINITY.  105 

its  bluff.  Burst  the  bubble,  and  do  it  according  to 
law.  Employ  its  own  methods,  show  forth  to  the 
world  the  dangers  of  combined  and  irresponsible 
wealth." 

"Then  what?" 

"Leave  that  to  the  inspiration  that  will  be  sure 
to  come.  Should  we  not  understand  our  dreams,  we 
shall  send  for  Corinna.     I'll  risk  her,"  replied  D'Mars. 

Mr.  Vanstine  and  Mr.  Rockwell  concurred  with 
D'Mars. 

While  Wall  street  is  a  bubble  filled  with  hot  air 
and  gas  and  floated  on  other  people's  money,  to  clean 
it  up  to  a  finish  was  no  trifling  undertaking.  The 
movement  had  to  be  conducted  so  adroitly  that  the  old- 
est foxes  and  buzzards  could  not  get  windward  of  it. 

With  such  practical  men  of  affairs  as  these  to  de- 
cide on  a  policy  was  to  act  promptly.  The  financial 
conditions  of  the  stock  market  were  favorable  to  their 
project.  The  inside  magnates  were  working  the  mar- 
ket like  a  pump  and  fleecing  the  "lambs"  with  every 
plunge. 

A  pool  was  organized  and  the  sum  of  $2,500,000,- 
000  put  up.  D']\Iars  $1,000,000,000,  Mr.  Rockwell 
$1,000,000,000  and  Mr.  Vanstine  $500,000,000.  The 
services  of  shrewd  brokers  were  secured  in  all  com- 
mercial centers.  The  managers,  who,  for  short,  may 
be  designated  the  D.  R.  &  V.  Syndicate,  kept  in  the 
background.  They  seldom  met  and  never  in  public. 
They  began  a  bear  movement  by  selling  and  convert- 
ing stocks  into  cash,  until  the  "bulls  became  alarmed, 
and  it  was  evident  that  the  danger  point  was  reached. 
Then  they  let  out  some  money,  as  Mr.  Rockwell  put  it, 
"We  must  give  them  line  as  well  as  bait." 

Thus  the  D.  R.  &  V.  Syndicate  played  hide  and 
seek  with  the  market,  buying  through  the  front  and 
selling  through  the  rear  door  until  a  level  was  reached 
that  astonished  the  oldest    operators.     The   syndicate 


186  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

now  purchased  continuously  and  secretly.  When  the 
"Bulls"  attempted  a  boom,  they  quickly  dumped  a 
block  of  stock  that  broke  the  market  and  sent  it  down 
to  a  lower  plane.  By  these  and  other  tactics  well 
known  to  professionals,  they  soon  had  secured  at  low 
figure  over  $8,000,000,000  leading  trust  stocks.  A 
large  amount  was  held  in  option,  to  be  delivered  at  a 
future  day.  As  the  day  of  delivery  approached  stocks 
advanced.  The  D.  R.  &  V.  brokers,  the  heavy  holders, 
were  not  ofifering  any  for  sale.  The  shrewd  old  foxes, 
who  had  sold  "short"  began  to  suspect  a  trap.  But 
they  were  too-  late.  The  market  was  badly  over-sold 
in  certain  lines.  The  "shorts"  must  make  good.  D. 
R.  &  V.  let  out  a  quiet  tip  to  their  "friends"  that  these 
stocks  might  go  to  two  dollars.  This  blocked  the 
"shorts"  in  their  efforts  to  "hedge."    ' 

The  day  of  settlement  was  approaching.  The  day 
of  retribution  was  near.  The  object  lesson  was  writ- 
ten on  the  financial  bulletin  board.  The  possibilities 
of  the  competitive  system  were  to  be  realized.  Mr. 
Rockwell  dropped  out  of  sight  in  the  background. 
D'Mars,  who  was  comparatively  a  stranger  to  every- 
body, had  charge  of  the  deal. 

Each  day  added  to  the  horror.  The  panic  was 
on.  Money  reached  sixty  per  cent  on  call  loans.  The 
saving  banks  were  powerless.  The  customers  stood 
in  line  everywhere  clamoring  for  their  deposits.  Men 
were  frantic,  women  were  in  hysterics.  Legitimate 
business  was  at  a  standstill.  Shops  and  factories  shut 
down.  Wheat,  corn,  cotton,  provisions,  declined  from 
twenty  to  fifty  percent. 

Wall  street,  as  usual,  appealed  to  the  government 
for  aid,  and  as  usual  the  government  came  to  its  rescue 
with  an  advance  of  one  year's  interest  on  its  bonds. 
Mr.  O'Gan  and  a  few  other  trust  magnates,  endeavor- 
ed to  secure  a  loan  of  the  government  gold  on  trust 
collateral.     But    a   concerted   howl   went   up   against 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  167 

such  a  scheme  and  the  secretary  of  the  treasury  did 
not  dare  attempt  it. 

D'Mars  sat  calmly  in  his  office  receiving'  and  an- 
swering dispatches  from  the  Syndicate  brokers.  He 
could  see  no  one.  He  was  too  busy.  He  had  made 
purchases  and  was  ready  to  pay  and  wanted  the  stocks. 
He  had  done  nothing  illegal.  He  had  the  money.  He 
could  meet  all  obligations.  He  had  a  legal  right  to 
buy  anything  that  was  for  sale.  He  was  doing  what 
Wall  street  was  doing  daily,  only  he  operated  on  a 
slightly  larger  scale.  To  those  who  complained,  he 
had  only  to  repeat  the  answer  which  Wall  street  and 
its  press  had  so  often  given  to  the  socialists  and  labor 
unions :  "Capitalists  have  a  right  to  do  as  they  please 
with  their  own  money."  His  position  was  impregnable 
under  the  iron  laws  of  the  competitive  system.  Settle- 
ment was  only  three  days  ofif  now.  Sharks  sought 
D'Mars  with  tears  in  their  cold,  glassy  eyes.  They 
begged  for  quarter.  They  would  make  a  reasonable 
settlement.  If  pressed  they  were  ruined.  Business 
men.  lawyers,  doctors,  ministers,  bookkeepers,  steno- 
graphers, typewriters — male  and  female,  came  to 
D'Mars  and  pleaded  for  life.  Bankers  declared  that 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  poor  depositors  would 
be  ruined  if  Wall  street  was  forced  to  the  wall. 

D'AIars  inquired  how  brokers  could  be  ruined  by 
an  advance  in  the  price  of  stocks,  which  they  held  as 
collateral. 

They  were  forced  to  admit  that  they  had  been 
speculating  and  sold  "short." 

"You  sold  that  which  you  did  not  have.  Now  I 
am  criticised  because  I  demand  what  I  bought  and 
for  which  I  have  the  money  to  pay,"  said  D'Mars. 

Shrewd  dealers  who  fathomed  the  extent  of  the 
"comer"  settled  early.  They  could  not  deliver  the 
stock — and  D'Mars  accepted  settlement  with  all  on  a 
basis  of  one  hundred  percent  rake-off  for  the  syndi- 


168  B'MABS  AFFINITY. 

cate.  This  settlement  enabled  D.  R.  &  V.  to  net  $2,- 
000,000,000  on  the  corner.  Had  they  pressed  their 
claims  to  the  bitter  end  the)^  could  have  squeezed  $500,- 
000,000  more  out  of  the  "shorts."  Had  they  done  so 
terrible  suffering  would  have  resulted.  As  it  stood, 
the  object  lesson  was  complete.  They  had  shown  to 
the  whole  world  the  possibilities  of  stock  gambling 
and  the  dangerous  power  of  vast  wealth  in  irresponsi- 
ble hands.  Their  vaults  contained  carloads  of  gold, 
silver,  currency,  stocks  and  bonds.  When  business 
resumed  and  values  became  normal,  $1,500,000,000  at 
least  would  be  added  to  the  value  of  their  stocks  and 
bonds.  Here  would  be  a  profit  of  $3,500,000,000.  It 
was  the  most  gigantic  "comer"  ever  engineered  and 
carried  out  successfully. 

The  fright  over,  business  quickly  resumed  normal 
conditions.  Dun  and  Bradstreet  quoted  D'Mars  and 
Rockwell  at  $6,000,000,000.  The  press  declared  their 
wealth  equal  to  any  other  ten  men  living,  adding 
"that  it  is  only  a  transfer  of  capital,  it  matters  little 
who  owns  the  capital  so  long  as  business  is  pros- 
perous." 

"What  are  they  going  to  do  with  this  enormous 
wealth?"  was  the  question  on  every  lip.  That  they 
had  won  it  legally  was  not  questioned  in  the  higher 
financial  circles. 

The  press,  of  course,  moralized  and  statesmen  de- 
clared that  the  time  had  come  to  "put  hooks  in  the 
jaws  of  those  leviath  ans  of  the  commercial  deep." 
Ministers  declared  that  God  gives  great  wealth  to 
men  only  as  stewards  (a  sort  of  divine  trustees)  to 
test  them  and  in  the  day  of  judgment  they  would  be 
held  to  strict  acconntability.  Scientific  socialists 
viewed  the  situation  philosophically  as  they  sagely  re- 
marked : 

"I  told  you  so.  You  have  an  object  lesson  that  a 
fool  even  can  read  and  understand." 


B'MARS  AFFINITY.  169 

Rich  philanthropists  wrote  essays  showing  the 
great  good  that  could  be  done  with  this  money  were 
it  wisely  distributed  among  charitable  institutions  and 
used  for  the  relief  of  the  poor. 

Press  reporters  were  clamorous  for  interviews. 
They  wanted  to  inform  the  public  of  the  syndicate's 
plans.  The  most  trivial  word  spoken  by  either  of  the 
magnates  was  wired  all  over  the  world,  while  politi- 
cians of  the  dominant  party  sounded  the  praises  of  a 
government  and  business  system  that  offered  to  every- 
one such  opportunities  for  the  accumulation  of  wealth. 

"We  have  no  information  to  give  out,"  was  the 
uniform  answer  of  D,  R.  &  V.  to  all  inquirers.  "There 
is  so  much  detail  to  look  after  in  the  reorganizing  of 
so  many  industries,  that  we  have  had  no  time  to  formu- 
late any  general  plans." 

"Will  your  policy  differ  materially  from  the 
present?"  queried  the  shrewd  reporters. 

"Our  policy  is  not  fully  matured.  Until  we  are 
prepared  to  declare  something  positive  we  can  say 
nothing.  Our  policy  in  the  future,  as  in  the  past,  will 
be  to  refrain  as  far  as  possible  from  disturbing  busi- 
ness," said  Mr.  Rockwell. 

So  humorous  was  this  remark  that  the  reporters 
could  not  repress  a  smile  that  bordered  dangerously 
on  a  ha — ha — 

Noticing  the  effect,  Mr.  Rockwell  promptly 
added,   "I  mean  legitimate  business." 

"Then  you  do  not  consider  stock  watering  and 
gambling  legitimate?"  said  the  spokesman. 

"I  do  not.  The  object  lesson  posted  now  upon 
the  business  bulletin  board  ought  to  convince  the  pub- 
lic of  that,"  said  Mr.  Rockwell. 

"It  is  rumored  that  you  and  D'Mars  have  turned 
socialistic.  How  is  that?"  ventured  the  associated 
press  agent. 

"I  would  not  care  to  reply  to  rumor,"  said  Mr, 


170  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

Rockwell,  "but  I  trust  that  we  aim  at  something-  more 
than  is  embraced  in  socialistic  or  any  other  political 
partisan  platforms.  That  is  all  I  care  to  say  this 
morning." 

By  this  time  the  dethroned  trust  magnates  had 
recovered  their  breath,  disfigured  but  yet  in  the  ring. 
They  learned  that  D.  R.  &  V.  were  planning  a  policy. 
They  felt  that  this  policy  ought  to  be  guided  in  "safe" 
business  channels.  They  regarded  D'Mars  as  a  young 
"plunger"  whose  head  was  likely  to  be  turned  by  a 
streak  of  fortune.  Rockwell  was  showing  evidence 
of  a  singular  phase  of  crankiness.  They  needed  the 
aid  of  cool,  level  heads.  They  were  a  financial  power 
that  could  not  be  ignored.  The  monster  must  be 
trained  and  led. 

In  this  pressing  emergency  a  number  of  trust 
magnates  and  leading  politicians  of  both  parties  called 
upon  D'Mars  to  advise  and  aid  him  in  formulating 
a  wise  policy. 

They  suggested  that  he  build  a  half  million  cot- 
tages and  donate  them  to  workingmen. 

"Who  would  donate  the  land  on  which  to  build 
these  houses?"  inquired  D'Mars. 

They  thought  the  land  could  be  purchased  on 
reasonable  terms.  He  could  buy  good  lots  on  an 
average  for  $500  each  and  put  $1,000  in  each  cottage. 
In  this  way  D.  R.  &  V.  would  expend  only  $750,000,- 
000  and  would  have  billions  left.  They  painted  in 
vivid  colors  the  benefit  labor  would  gain  in  relief  from 
the  payment  of  rent.  Such  a  step  would  be  an  object 
lesson  to  all  rich  men. 

D'Mars  conceded  their  point  and  suggested  to 
them  that  when  workingmen  were  relieved  of  paying 
rent,  they  could  and  would  be  able  to  work  for  less 
wages. 

The  magnates  did  not  seem  to  enter  upon  this 
phase  of  the    subject  with    enthusiasm,  although  he 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  171 

made  very  clear  the  advantage  the  employer  would 
derive  under  the  wage  system  from  someone  paying 
the  employee's  rent. 

D'Mars  next  received  and  asked  the  rich  philan- 
thropists what  plan  they  could  suggest  to  relieve  the 
masses  of  toilers  from  the  support  of  the  idle  rich, 
give  them  the  full  fruits  of  their  toil  and  forever  put 
them  in  a  position  to  help  themselves  without  material 
aid. 

They  said  the  'poor  ye  always  have  with  ye.' 
The  scriptures  say  so,  any  scheme  to  abolish  poverty 
would  be  futile." 

"Do  you  find  any  scripture  which  says  we  shall 
alv/ays  have  the  rich  with  us?"  inquired  D'Mars. 

They  knew  of  none. 

"Then,"  he  said,  "if  there  is  no  scriptural  objec- 
tion, let  us  abolish  the  rich  idler  and  have  all  with 
us." 

They  thought  that  impractical. 

"I  have  no  fad,  no  patent  nostrum.  I  desire  none. 
Neither  am  I  satisfied  to  apply  mere  palliatives  that 
neither  remove  nor  even  touch  the  cause  of  the  evils 
complained  of.  I  have  given  some  thought  to  this 
subject  and  I  have  had  a  good  deal  of  experience  with 
labor  and  capital.  I  have  arrived  at  the  conclusion 
that  the  only  remedy  of  a  permanent  nature  is  the  help 
that  will  help  the  masses  of  toilers  to  help  them- 
selves. When  you  gentlemen  have  something  to  offer 
on  these  lines  I  shall  be  glad  to  confer  with  you,"  said 
D'Mars. 

About  this  time  D.  R.  &  V.  had  got  their  money 
counted,  no  trivial  chore  as  anyone  will  realize  who 
attempts  to  count  a  billion  and  handle  the  coin  and 
bullion.  They  had  $1,000,000,000  gold  and  silver  coin, 
bullion  and  currency  and  $9,000,000,000  gilt  edge 
stocks,  bonds  and  securities  valued,  prior  to  the  panic, 
at  $8,000,000,000,  and  now  easily  worth  from  five  to 


172  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

six  billion  dollars.  Stowing  away  these  moneys  and 
securities  and  reorganizing-  a  few  dozen  leading  trusts 
which  they  now  controlled,  required  several  days' 
work.  But  it  was  completed  and  D.  R.  &  V.  were 
now  prepared  to  engage  in  more  important  and  serious 
affairs. 

"We  have  trimmed  Wall  Street  to  a  finish.  My 
prophetic  dream  has  been  fulfilled.  Corinna  said  that 
when  we  reached  this  point  inspiration  would  come  to 
use  if  we  sought  it,"  remarked  Mr.  Rockwell  to  his 
associates. 

"We  need  Corinna  now.  I  wish  she  were  here 
at  this  moment,"  remarked  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"We  have  such  opportunities  as  no  three  men 
ever  had  before.  We  must  use  them  wisely,"  remarked 
Mr.  Rockwell. 

"We  own  the  stocks  and  bonds  of  a  thousand 
corporations.  We  could  distribute  this  stock  among 
the  employees,  put  them  in  control  and  set  on  foot 
the  grandest  co-operative  movement  the  world  ever 
saw,"  remarked  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"And  we  would  each  have  $500,000,000  left," 
said  Mr.  Rockwell. 

"What  do  you  say  to  that  program,  D'Mars?" 

"Not  worth  the  powder  to  blow  it.  I  have  had 
some  experience  in  making  co-operators  out  of  wage- 
workers  by  gratuitous  distribution  of  stock.  They 
are  not  prepared  for  it,"  replied  D'Mars. 

Mr.  D'Mars  then  related  his  experience  with  the 
miners  in  Australia,  remarking  at  the  close  that  "no 
money  benefits  anyone,  except  that  for  which  he  has 
given  service." 

"You  do  not  seem  to  repose  much  confidence  in 
the  business  ability  of  the  wage-worker?"  remarked 
Mr.  Rockwell. 

"I  have  vastly  more  confidence  in  the  honesty  and 
ability  of  wage  workers  than  they  have  in  one  another," 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  173 

replied  D'Mars.  "Material  aid  will  never  benefit  the 
poor,  while  through  our  barbarous  competitive  and 
monopolistic  system  fear  of  poverty  and  idolatry  of 
money  is  born  in  the  bone  and  bred  in  the  marrow\ 
We  must  go  deeper  into  the  problem  than  material 
aid  before  we  can  accomplish  much,"  replied 
D'Mars. 

"D'Mars  talks  like  Corinna,"  remarked  Mr.  Van- 
stine. 

"In  riddles,"  replied  Mr.  Rockwell,  who  viewed 
everything  from  a  business  standpoint, 

"To  me  it  is  very  clear.  I  have  seen  the  com- 
petitive system  and  the  materialistic  system  of  getting 
along  without  God,  carried  to  their  logical  conse- 
quences in  Multo  and  in  Centropolis.  I  have  tested 
donations  to  wage-workers  in  Australia.  I  believe 
in  service.  I  believe  that  life  owes  nobody  an}'thing. 
No  man  has  a  right  to  anything  more  from  the  world 
than  he  has  given  service  for.  He  does  not  give  ser- 
vice, he  has  no  rights.  I  refer,  of  course,  to  normal 
persons.  He  who  does  not  concede  to  all  others  ev- 
erything, every  advantage  he  seeks  for  himself,  has 
no  conception  of  human  rights  and  duties,"  said 
D'Mars. 

"Under  that  rule,  what  right  have  we  to  these 
billions  that  we  possess?"  remarked  Mr.  Rockwell. 

"None.  No  right.  No  more  right  than  the  poor- 
est beggar  that  walks  the  streets.  We  came  in  pos- 
session for  a  purpose.  It  is  an  awful  responsibilit3^ 
It  makes  me  tremble.  I  pray  for  lig'ht — inspiration. 
I  am  confident  that  it  will  come.  It  is  for  us  to  heed 
the  voice/'  replied  D'Mars. 


174  D' MAIilS  A FFi  M 1 '  F. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
A  Social  Triumph. 

At  this  juncture  the  postman  entered  and  deliv- 
ered a  letter  to  Mr.  Rockwell.  His  face  brightened 
as  he  read. 

"Here  is  a  letter  from  Edith,"  he  remarked.  "She 
and  Corinna  will  sail  in  about  two  weeks.  Suppose 
we  defer  this  matter  until  they  arrive.  I  have  an  in- 
spiration that  Corinna  can  solve  our  problem." 

"The  same  inspiration  comes  to  me,"  remarked 
Mr.  Vanstine. 

"I  am  agreed,"  said  D'Mars.  "She  may  be  the  pre- 
destined guide.  I  never  turn  down  inspirations.  I 
can  feel  her  influence  at  this  moment  myself." 

In  due  time  the  announcement  was  made  that 
Edith  Rockwell  was  on  her  way  home,  accompanied 
by  Corinna,  the  famous  singer  and  artist.  Edith 
had  been  absent  two  years  and  her  success  in  art 
and  music  was  well  known.  Her  social  success  in 
Paris  and  her  probable  presentation  to  the  queen  as 
she  returned  home  had  been  heralded  far  and  wide 
and  was  the  subject  of  very  general  discussion  in  the  in- 
side circles  of  the  "400."  The  name  of  Lord  Caledon 
was  very  cautiously  associated  with  Edith  by  the  high- 
er society  journals,  which  were  supposed  to  possess 
inside   information. 

Corinna's  fame  in  the  world  of  art  was  world- 
wide. She  had  entertained  kings  and  princes  in 
private  musicales  and  was  regarded  as  the  most  suc- 
cessful improvisatrice  of  the  age.  Society  was  on 
tiptoe  and  the  fashion  emporiums  of  Paris  were  raked 
for  something  new.  So  intense  was  the  pressure  of 
the  fashionable  set  for  new  and  unique  designs  that 
two  caterers  gave  up  in  despair  and  suicided. 


B'MARS  AFFINITY.  I75 

A  week  later  the  Rockwell  mansion  was  the  center 

plTTf  e'""''""     J""'  ^'^^^-PoHtan  Press  devotd 

Toffal  Stars'' T.''/''  ''""'^  '"^  '"''^''^^  ''  ^he 
7.^f^Atv  ^^^?^^§^^"t  equipages  of  our  titled  and 
untitled  nobihty  rolled  up  daily  to  the  Rockwell  man- 
sion Leaders  of  the  "Smart  Set"  planned  a  social 
function  that  would  eclipse  the  Madl^'Bartin  affair 
to  be  g-iven  in  honor  of  Edith  and  her  guest  The 
proposition  was  broached  to  the  ladies,  but  they  gave 
t  no  encouragement.    Corinna  said  that  while  she  was 

who.       T'Z'  '^'  ^'^  ""  '^''^  ^'^  ^^--1  f-ction 
whose  sole  object  was  the  exhibition  of  gowns    dia- 

ITmt  "  d  t'  T  ^'  '^"^^"-^-     ^^-^>-  P-chased  the 
former  and  the  latter  required  no  heart.     But  she  did 

consent  to  attend  a  grand  musicale  to  be  tapered  off 

with  a  waltz  or  two.     This  would  exhibit  the  gowns 

and  that  was  all  the  society  folks  desired 

Preparations  for  a  society  blowout  on  a  grand 

_  select  set    a  few  leading  musicians  and  singers  were 
invited   o  participate.    Herr  Von  Scholostertalker,  pri! 

charge  oT /if       ''   'f  ^'''-  ^'""'''^  ^^"'^  ^03,  had 
charge  of  the  musical  program.     Corinna  and  Edith 

00k  no  part  m  the  rehearsals.     They  would  play  and 

sing  somethmg  of  their  own  selection.     This  decision 

of  the  star  singer  hardly  met  the  views  of  the  young 

duchess,  Heinrotonklienschimerstein,  who  aided  Herr 

Scholostertalker   in    the   selection   of  purely   classical 

Z^  1  J''/tf' ''"^  '^.^'  ^°"""^  "^^^^t  ^"t^oduce  some 
old  melody  that  would  destrov  the  harmony  of  mod- 
em music  and  grate  harshly  upon  the  technical  ear. 
J^ut  Corinna  ^yould  have  her  way  in  this  at  least,  so 
there  was  no  help  for  it. 

The  inner  circle  of  fashionable  culture  being  un- 
able to  agree  on  who  should  have  the  honor,  the  mu- 
sicale was  held  in  the  magnificent  parlors  of  the  Sym- 
phony Club.     Space  will  not  permit,  even  though  pen 


176  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

could  describe  the  splendor  of  the  palatial  temple  of 
music.  The  music  hall,  ballroom,  banquet  hall,  spacious 
parlors  and  vestibules  excelled  even  the  Porphyry 
palace  of  Cleo  in  richness  of  decoration,  floral  beauty 
and  fragrance. 

The  audience  presented  a  magnificent  picture.  The 
wealth,  beautyi  and  aristocracy ;  and,  we  might  add, 
the  hauteur  and  pride  of  the  metropolis,  were  present. 
The  term  beauty  is  not  out  of  place,  for  no  other  coun- 
try of  earth  approximates  the  States  in  feminine 
beauty,  and  in  this  respect  New  York  has  no  peer. 
Delicately  and  exquisitely  chiseled  features,  that  even 
the  pagan  art  of  facial  expression  had  failed  to  de- 
stroy, enriched  by  wealth  of  hair  that  vibrated  rays  of 
sunshine  under  the  soft  electric  lights,  sparkled  in 
their  gorgeous  settings  of  rich  silks,  satins  and  rare 
laces,  set  off  by  a  dazzling  display  of  diamonds  and 
pearls.  But  the  Psychic  eye  could  readily  read  in 
the  hauteur  of  the  eye  or  the  curve  of  the  lip  self 
and  self  only  in  almost  every  countenance. 

A  hush  of  surprise  stilled  the  scarcely  audible 
voices  when  the  stars  of  the  evening  entered,  escorted 
by  Messrs.  Vanstine  and  Rockwell.  With  graceful 
and  courtly  movement,  Corinna  and  Edith  walked  to 
their  places  on  the  stage,  while  their  escorts  retired 
to  their  private  box. 

"How  beautiful  they  are,"  whispered  a  young  girl 
to  her  mother. 

"Why  Emma,  your  face  is  a  perfect  index  to 
your  sentiments.  You  forget  your  lessons  in  facial 
expression.  It's  bad  form — even  vulgar,  for  fashion- 
able people  to  exhibit  their  sentiments  and  emotion. 
Notice  how  devoid  of  emotion — even  expressionless, 
are  the  faces  of  ladies  of  culture.  It  is  an  evidence 
of  exceedingly  low  breeding  to  express  surprise  at 
anything,"  remarked  the  aristocratic  mother  in  a 
severe  undertone. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  177 

Thus  rebuked  because  she  had  a  soul,  the  poor 
child  looked  like  a  clam  the  remainder  of  the  even- 
ing. 

D'Mars,  who  had  been  absent  from  the  city  on 
business  and  had  not  yet  met  the  guests,  at  this  junc- 
ture arrived  and  was  escorted  to  the  Rockwell  box. 
He  was  anxious  to  see  them,  but  the  view  was  obstruct- 
ed by  a  large  palm  near  the  footlights. 

The  musical  program  was  perfectly  modern  and 
the  musicians  were  au  fait.  There  was  plenty  of  har- 
mony to  the  technical  ear.  while  all  that  old  plebeian 
melody  that  arouses  emotion  and  awakens  the  enrap- 
tured ear,  was  carefully  eliminated.  The  audience 
cheered,  however,  but  it  was  painfully  evident  that  no 
musical  chord  in  their  bosom  had  been  touched.  Cor- 
inna  quickly  noticed  this.  She  knew^  that  in  every 
human  heart  is  a  longing,  yearning  desire  for  the 
melody  of  nature's  harmony.  She  knew  that  every 
being  has  his  higher  as  well  as  his  baser  passions  and 
that  it  is  the  duty  as  well  the  lofty  privilege  of  the 
world's  exemplars  to  appeal  to  the  noblest  side  of 
human  nature  only,  and  this,  too,  with  that  simple 
eloquence  of  meaning  that  can  be  grasped  equally  by 
the  learned  and  the  unlearned. 

Corinna's  part  was  indicated  by  a  blank  line  on 
the  program.  When  it  was  reached  expectation  was 
strained  to  a  dangerous  tension.  The  buzz  of  voices 
subsided  as  Corinna  came  forward,  violin  in  hand. 
Never  before  was  her  beauty  more  radiant.  She  had 
the  full  sympathy  of  the  audience  and  she  realized  it. 

Clear,  sweet  and  penetrating  as  the  silvery  chime 
of  far  away  Christmas  bells  on  the  still  frosty  air, 
rang  on  the  hushed  audience  the  first  sound  from  Cor- 
inna's bow.  The  marvelous  purity  of  the  silvery  sound 
set  all  nerves  quivering  with  delight  and  vibrating  in 
enraptured  sympathy  with  the  artist  and  the  tune.  It 
was  Corinna's  inspired  composition.     Her    soul  was 


178  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

under  the  influence  of  the  Director  of  Nature's  har- 
mony. The  musical  fullness  of  divine  light  shone  in 
her  countenance.  Entrancing  notes  of  wordless  song 
dropped  melodiously  from  her  bow  through  the  air 
like  diamonds  rolling  from  the  wand  of  the  enchant- 
ress. 

It  was  the  wind's  symphony  to  the  trees;  the 
ocean's  caressing  song  to  the  shore,  or  the  almost  in- 
audible notes  sung  by  the  opening  flowers  to  the  April 
raindrops.  It  was  an  appeal  to  the  better  nature,  the 
higher  ideals,  the  nobler  impulses  of  man.  It  brought 
joy  to  those  who  have  thought  and  loved,  suffered 
and  hoped ;  to  those  who  scaled  the  towering  and  fatal 
pinnacles  of  passion  and  fell  to  the  depth  of  pain  and 
remorse.  A  sympathetic  chord  in  every  heart  was 
touched  and  revived  by  the  delicious  tones  that  from 
the  strings  blazing  like  electric  sparks,  now  melting 
and  blending  into  the  gentle  murmur  of  the  brook,  or 
the  sigh  of  lovers  at  parting,  only  to  meet  again  in  an 
embrace  of  new  delight.  The  audience  sat  spell-bound. 
They  had  heard  the  music  of  the  masters,  but  never 
anything  like  this.  At  the  close  a  thunder  of  applause 
that  shook  the  house  came  up  from  the  audience. 

Corinna  gracefully  bowed  her  acknowledgement 
and  retired.  The  applause  continued  like  a  whirlwind. 
A  magic  hand  had  transformed  "facial  expression"  in- 
to genuine  humanity.  The  lamp  of  love  was  lighted 
and  heart  breathed  to  heart  at  one  touch  of  nature's 
harmonious  melody.  Corinna  bowed  again  and  again, 
but  the  applause  was  kept  up  until  the  director  an- 
nounced that  she  would  sing  a  song  of  her  own  com- 
position later  on.  This  quieted  the  audience  and  the 
musicale  proceeded  in  its  mechanical  way.  The  im- 
patience to  hear  Corinna  and  Edith  was  so  evident 
that  the  program  was  abbreviated. 

When  Corinna  and  Edith  appeared  for  the  clos- 
ing number,  they  were  greeted  by  tumultuous  applause. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  179 

"The  Dawn  of  Love"  was  the  title  of  the  song.  Edith 
took  her  place  at  the  grand  piano  to  play  the  accom- 
paniment. The  piece  was  new.  It  was  a  sweet,  soul- 
stirring  romance,  beginning  in  the  dark  hazes  beyond 
the  furthermost  shores  of  tradition.  The  tender  senti- 
ment that  rules  the  universe,  like  the  great  luminary  of 
day  breaking  through  the  early  morning  haze  emerged 
from  the  shadows  of  the  past.  It  dispelled  darkness, 
the  personification  of  sin,  and  animated  all  nature  with 
life  and  joy.  Life's  beauty  and  truth,  harmony  and 
song;  autumn  was  rich  in  the  treasure  of  a  mission 
performed  and  resplendent  in  etherealized  beauty. 

Corinna  was  at  her  best.  Her  voice  was  perfect. 
She  sang  the  highest  notes  with  ease  and  perfect  con- 
trol. The  accompaniment  was  exquisite  and  artistical- 
ly rendered.  It  traversed  the  gamut  of  human  emo- 
tion. Everyone  present  was  moved.  They  felt  a 
swelling  of  the  heart  never  before  experienced.  Cor- 
inna's  voice  encompassed  space  with  the  speed  and  joy 
of  a  lark  soaring  up  into  the  springtide  air.  Wild 
thrills  of  ecstasy  mingled  with  soft  notes  of  loving 
tenderness,  made  the  hall  space  resonant  with  the  ring 
of  a  bird-like  harmony.  The  audience  sat  bewildered. 
Was  she  human?  Her  marvelous  poesy  and  musical 
genius  and  their  effect  upon  the  audience  bespoke  the 
supernatural. 

The  former  applause  that  greeted  Corinna  was 
now  redoubled  for  her  and  Edith.  It  was  a  supreme 
moment  when  they  bowed  to  the  audience  and  retired. 
The  applause  was  continued.  It  seemed  that  a  swift 
torrent  from  some  vast  reservoir  had  broken  loose. 

Again  and  again  and  still  again  Corinna  and 
Edith  bowed  to  the  audience.  But  this  was  of  no 
avail.  The  soul  of  real  music  was  unsealed.  The 
starved  appetite  had  only  a  taste.  It  insisted  on  more 
until  the  stars  gave  them  a  delightful  improvised 
melody  with  words  adapted  to  the  occasion. 


180  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
The:  Recognition. 

During  this  performance  D'Mars  was  spell- 
bound. "I  have  seen  Corinna  and  heard  that  voice," 
he  said  to  himself  over  and  over  again.  The  face  and 
the  voice  revived  in  him  old  memories.  His  mind 
went  back  to  Multo.  In  memory  he  returned  to  para- 
dise. His  dreams  in  which  he  saw  Ethel  beautified 
and  surrounded  by  admirers  came  back  to  him. 

Noticing  D'Mars'  abstraction,  his  companions  en- 
deavored to  rally  him. 

"I  am  under  the  control  of  a  singular  sensation 
tonight,"  he  replied  without  attempt  at  evasion.  "I 
can't  explain  it.  I  have  seen  that  face  and  heard  that 
voice  before." 

"You  are  in  love,"  said  Vanstine.    "Which  is  it?" 

"Which?"  repeated  D'Mars,  "I  see  only  one.  It 
is  Corinna.    I  believe  that  I  have  found  Ethel." 

"You  see  only  one ;  rather  a  backhanded  com- 
pliment to  Edith,"  replied  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"I  am  not  responsible  tonight  for  what  I  say. 
Edith  is  superb,  but  the  eyes  of  love " 

"Are  blind,"  interrupted  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"Are  single.  There  is  no  dual  love.  But  one 
affinity.  There  is  an  unoslved  mystery  about  Cor- 
inna.    She  is  Ethel." 

"You  may  be  right.  Edith  admitted  to  me  that 
there  is  a  mystery  connected  with  Corinna's  early  his- 
tory and  Corinna  is  an  assumed  name.  But  she  would 
tell  me  no  more,"  said  Mr.  Rockwell. 

"I  shall  solve  that  mystery.  I  am  madly  in  love. 
I  never  experienced  any  sensation  like  this  before. 
Do  you  know  that  I  can  hardly  restrain  an  impulse 
to  go  directly  on  the  stage  and  throv/  ray  self  at  her 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  181 

feet?    Should  I  attempt  anything  rash  I  want  you  gen- 
tlemen to  restrain  me." 

"I  hope  it  has  not  come  to  that.  You  will  have 
ample  time  and  opportunity  to  meet  her  under  mor<; 
propitious  circumstances,"  said  Mr.  Vanstine. 

After  the  audience  thoroughly  emphasized  its  ap- 
preciation they  filed  into  the  ball-room,  where  an  im- 
promptu reception  was  held.  The  introductions  were 
almost  over  when  Mr.  Vanstine  introduced  D'Mars 
as  his  old  highly  esteemed  friend.  Corinna  acknowl- 
edged the  introduction  with  a  courtly  bow  and  Edith 
playfully  suggested  that  D'Mars  and  Corinna  lead  m 
the  grand  march.  As  this  was  down  in  the  program, 
there  was  nothing  left  for  them  but  to  obey. 

It  was  a  supreme  moment,  and  one  that  called 
for  all  the  diplomacy  she  could  command.  She  thought 
she  could  read  something  in  D'Mars'  face.  Had  he 
already  recognized  her  ?  It  was  only  three  years  since 
they  parted.  She  had  undergone  some  changes;  so 
had  D'Mars,  but  she  recognized  him  the  moment  he 
entered  the  concert  hall,  although  she  did  not  expect 
his  presence  that  night. 

D'Mars  was  something  of  a  diplomat  himself.  He 
gave  no  sign  of  his  emotion.  Of  course  he  recognized 
her  the  moment  they  were  introduced.  He  also  rec- 
ognized that  he  had  found  his  long  lost  affinity.  This 
recognition  was  mutual.  She  realized  now  that  she 
loved  D'Mars.  But  this  knowledge  brought  her  no 
happiness.  She  had  no  assurance  that  her  love  was 
returned.  Be  that  as  it  may,  she  never  would  marry 
until  the  mystery  of  her  life  was  cleared  up.  That 
much  was  settled  in  her  mind. 

They  indulged  the  usual  conversation  of  such 
an  occasion,  D'Mars  being  very  careful  to  not  touch 
on  his  experience  in  Australia.  Later  in  the  evening 
he  engaged  her  in  a  waltz.  He  also  danced  with  Edith, 
who,  with  woman's  intuition  and  her  previous  knowl- 


182  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

edge  of  Corinna's  secret  and  a  word  from  Mr.  Van- 
stine,  enabled  her  to  read  them  like  an  open  book. 

"What  do  you  think  of  Corinna?"  she  naively 
asked  as  he  led  her  to  a  seat. 

"She  is  a  wonderful  artist  and  a  delightful  en- 
tertainer," he  responded  with  an  effort  to  appear  dis- 
interested. 

The  press  reporters  went  wild  over  Edith  and 
Corinna.  They  pronounced  Corinna  the  greatest  liv- 
ing vocalist.  Max  Frothpan,  the  leading  operatic 
manager,  called  on  the  Stars  the  following  day  and 
offered  Corinna  $5,000  a  night  for  fifty  nights,  but 
she  emphatically  declared  that  she  would  never  go  on 
the  stage. 

The  next  afternoon  D'Mars  called  to  pay  his  re- 
spects to  the  ladies.  They  were  delighted  to  meet  him, 
although  he  fancied  that  Corinna  wore  an  impenetrable 
armor  of  reserve.  He  knew  she  suspected  that  he 
had  identified  her.  Edith  soon  found  a  pretext  to 
leave  them  alone.  This  move  looked  suspicious  to 
D'Mars,  but  he  was  in  for  it  and  he  might  as  well  have 
it  over. 

He  began  with  the  cure  of  Mr.  Rockwell,  and 
from  that  adroitly  led  the  conversation  along  psychic 
lines  bordering  on  the  occult,  carefully  feeling  his 
way  until  he  found  an  opening  to  introduce  his  vision. 

Corinna  was  deeply  interested  and  impressed  and 
explained  to  him  many  things  he  had  not  understood. 
He  related  his  first  meeting  with  Mr.  Vanstine,  the 
part  played  by  the  hermit,  his  trip  to  Australia,  his 
meeting  with  Azel,  the  murder  of  Mrs.  Fordyce  and 
Azel's  disappearance.  He  then  told  of  finding  the 
buried  treasure  of  Multo  and  how  Azel's  old  friends 
stood  up  for  her  and  to  this  day  declare  her  innocence 
and  hoped  for  her  return  in  order  that  she  may  be  vin- 
dicated. He  then  told  her  of  his  own  efforts  and  how 
the  conclusion  dawned  on  him  that  Azel  was  Ethel 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  183 

and  that  he  would  some  day  find  her.  He  noticed  that 
Corinna  was  deeply  affected,  especially  when  told  that 
her  old  friends  all  believe  her  innocent. 

"So  you  still  believe  that  you  will  find  Ethel."  re- 
marked Corinna. 

"I  have  found  her.  You  are  Ethel,  my  long  lost 
love,  my  affinity  from  whom  I  have  been  estranged 
during  all  these  ages.  I  love  you.  You  will  be  my 
wife.  You  are  my  affinity.  You  are  mine — I  am 
yours — your  only  true  lover.  We  shall  never  be  part- 
ed more,"  said  D'Mars  and  he  supplemented  the  words 
by  clasping  her  in  a  passionate  embrace. 

All  her  efforts  to  disengage  herself  were  futile. 

"It  cannot  be.  I  am  Azel,  the  unfortunate  waif — 
the  fugitive." 

"I  know  all.  I  know  that  you  have  been  the  vic- 
tim of  some  terrible  mistake  or  crime.  But  I  know 
that  you  are  absolutely  innocent.  An  angel;  I  am 
unworthy  of  you.  I  confess  that.  But  you  are  my 
affinity,  you  are  not  Azel;  you  are  Ethel.  Your  name 
shall  be  vindicated.  Say  that  you  love  me  and  that 
you  will  be  my  wife." 

"I  cannot  promise  what  you  ask."  I  cannot.  There 
is  a  barrier  between  us  that  may  never  be  removed. 

"Do  you  love  another?"  inquired  D'Mars,  as  he 
released  her  and  looked  in  her  eyes  as  though  he  would 
read  her  very  soul. 

"No,"  she  replied.  "No  other.  I  cannot  love  or 
marry  anyone  until  the  dark  mystery  of  my  life  is 
cleared  up." 

"Is  that  all?"  said  D'Mars,  and  he  again  em- 
braced her  more  passionately  than  ever.  I  promise 
you  that  the  mystery  will  be  solved.  Some  malignant 
interest  has  been  pursuing  you.  That  makes  it  all 
the  easier  solved.  I  have  endeavored  to  pry  into  it. 
I  already  have  some  information.    With  your  aid  the 


184  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

dark  piot  against  you  can  be  unearthed.    But  say  you 
love  me.    That  is  all  I  ask  now.  my  darling." 

With  her  head  now  reposing  on  his  heaving  bos- 
om Corinna  wept  but  made  no  reply. 

"My  love  is  returned — yes,  returned  a  hundred 
fold,  for  man's  love  cannot  be  compared  in  measure 
with  woman's.  I  know  it,  but  I  want  to  hear  those 
sweet  lips  say  yes,"  and  he  bent  his  ear  low  that  he 
might  hear  the  word  that  sealed  his  bliss. 

"I  do  not  know,  this  is  so  sudden,  so  unexpected. 
I  do  not  fathom  my  own  heart.  That  cloud  that  hangs 
over  my  life  is  so  dark.    Should  you  remove  that  cloud 

you   shall   have  my   everlasting   gratitude — and " 

she  paused. 

"Love,"  interjected  D'Mars,  finishing  the  sen- 
tence. 

Her  head  nestled  closer  and  one  arm  .was  on  his 
shoulder.  He  could  stand  the  suspense  no  longer,  and, 
taking  silence  for  consent,  he  sealed  the  compact  with 
a  kiss — and  then  another — unti^  Corinna  disengaged 
herself. 

Normal  relations  were  scarcely  resumed  when 
Edith  and  Mr.  Vanstine  entered  the  room.  There  are 
occasions  when  diplomatic  art  fails  and  the  emotions 
of  the  heart  speak.  The  intruders,  if  we  may  so 
designate  them,  noticed  that  something  had  happened. 

"Permit  me  to  congratulate  you,  and  in  the  ab- 
sence of  established  authority,  pronounce  the  benedic- 
tion." said  Mr.  Vanstine  with  a  hearty  laugh. 

"To  what  do  we  owe  this  strange  demonstration?" 
inquired  D'Mars  with  assumed  surprise  and  dignity, 
while  Edith  embraced  Corinna  with  her  irresistible 
fervor  and  magentism. 

"Come,  come  now ;  dont'  try  that  bluff  upon  me. 
I  am  too  old.  Own  up.  Are  the  preliminaries  set- 
tled?" 

D'Mars  looked  at  Corinna  and  she  blushed,  while 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  185 

Edith  kissed  her  as  she  remarked,  "And  you  never  told 
me." 

"We  may  as  well  own  up,"  said  D'Mars,  but  we 
are  not  engaged — yet — we  have  discovered  that  we 
are  old  friends — of  long  ago. 

"It  would  better  be  all  told,"  remarked  Corinna. 
"I  am  Azel,  the  waif  of  the  mining  camp  and  the 
fugitive   from  justice." 

"Yes,"  said  D'Mars,  "and  the  innocent  victim 
of  some  mysterious  and  damnable  plot.  Corinna  is 
Ethel,  my  afifinity  down  through  all  these  ages,  and  she 
has  imposed  upon  me  the  task  of  clearing  up  the  mys- 
tery of  her  life.  Until  that  is  done,  she  will  not  prom- 
ise to  be  mine." 

"Tut,  tut,  life  is  too  short  for  the  solution  of 
mysteries.  Bury  the  past.  Drive  away  the  cloud  with 
the  sunshine  of  the  present  and  the  still  more  glorious 
light  of  the  future."  replied  Mr.  Vanstine,  and  D'Mars 
cast  a  look  of  entreaty  mingled  with  hope  upon  Cor- 
inna. 

"I  know  that  mystery  can  and  will  be  cleared  up 
and " 

"This  year,  too,  3^ou  know,"  interrupted  Edith 
and  Corinna  silenced  her  with  a  warning  look. 

"I  will  clear  it  up  within  a  month,"  said  D'Mars. 
and  he  brought  down  his  fist  upon  the  rosewood  table 
in  a  most  emphatic  manner. 


186  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

CHAPT'ER  XXI. 

Solving  the  Mystery. 

The  following  afternoon  D'Mars  and  Corinna  were 
doseted  with  Chief  Vernon  of  the  Transcontinental 
Detective  Agency.  In  addition  to  what  has  already 
•been  related  Corinna  informed  the  detective  of  her 
dreams  of  a  gold  locket  and  chain.  She  could  not 
tell  when  she  first  dreamt  of  it,  but  the  first  recollec- 
tion was  that  she  had  worn  it.  Her  story  of  Cobden's 
performance  impressed  Vernon.  Then  the  effort  of 
HardwiCk  to  fasten  the  murder  on  Corinna  (Azel) 
satisfied  him  that  there  was  a  plot,  a  conspiracy  and  a 
motive. 

"I  know  there  was  a  gold  locket  and  two  por- 
traits in  it  and  a  name  on  it,  but  I  never  could  remem- 
ber the  name  and  I  am  sure  that  locket  is  somewhere 
now,"  said  Corinna. 

"Maybe  so,  but  dreams  don't  amount  to  much  in 
Court.  Your  belief  that  the  locket  exists  is  well 
founded  if  there  really  was  a  locket.  Criminals  ever 
did  and  ever  will  preserve  the  evidence  of  crime. 
There  is  some  fascination  about  it  that  prevents  them 
destroying  it." 

After  imposing  the  strictest  secrecy  upon  all.  De- 
tective Vernon  went  to  his  office  and  entered  into 
correspondence  by  cable  with  the  Sidney  office. 

When  Mr.  Vanstine  heard  the  story  of  the  locket 
he  was  visibly  excited  and  he  informed  D'Mars  that 
his  little  daughter  wore  such  a  locket  when  she 
was  drowned  and  that  it  contained  his  portrait  and 
that  of  his  wife. 

A  week  elapsed  before  anything  was  heard  from 
Detective    Vernon.     D'Mars    and    Corinna   miet    fte- 


'that  man  is  cobden,"  she  exclaimed.— Page  205. 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  187 

quently  and  the  wires  announced  that  Lord  Caledon 
had  sailed  for  New  York.  The  tongue  of  gossip 
was  busy.  It  already  had  D'Mars  and  Corinna  on 
the  string,  why  he  had  not  fallen  in  love  with  Edith 
was  discussed  and  the  verdict  rendered  was  that  she 
was  in  love  with  Lord  Caledon,  who  was  to  be  the 
social  lion  of  the  season. 

Detective  Vernon  called  to  report  progress.  His 
Australian  associate  had  been  at  work.  He  discover- 
ed that  Cobden  and  the  Duke  of  Cronstadt  had  been 
paid  $10,000  each  for  their  part  in  the  conspiracy 
against  Azel.  The  money  was  paid  by  Mrs.  Fordyce 
and  furnished  by  Hardwick.  Azzette  had  shown  evi- 
dences of  increased  prosperity.  He  and  Hardwick 
were  close  friends  and  he  was  suspected  of  knowledge 
of  the  murder.  A  dark  mystery  surrounded  Mrs. 
Fordyce.  Where  she  came  from  or  what  her  antece- 
dents was  a  puzzle.  Azzette  was  the  key  to  the  situ- 
ation.     His  armor  was  invulnerable. 

Mr.  Vernon  made  the  proposition  to  arrest  Az- 
zette for  the  murder  of  Mrs.  Fordyce,  get  him  in  the 
sweat  box  and  extract  a  confession  from  him.  In 
order  to  accomplish  this,  a  story  must  be  made  up  and 
a  huge  bluff  played. 

The  Sidney  detective,  Mr.  Hackel,  was  certain 
that  the  Dashons  left  no  heir.  It  was  further  believed 
that  Florence  Dashon  was  the  child  of  Mrs.  Fordyce 
and  that  Azel  was  the  real  heir  to  the  Dashon  estate. 
Now,  who  were  the  Dashons  ?     This  was  important. 

"I  can  tell  you  all  about  the  Dashons,"  said  Mr. 
Vanstine.  "Bill  Dashon  was  a  brother-in-law  of 
mine.  We  married  sisters.  They  inherited  a  vast 
estate  in  Australia.  According  to  their  father's  will, 
should  one  die  without  leaving  living  issue,  the  estate 
went  to  the  other  one,  and  should  she  die  without  issue 
the  estate  went  to  the  government. 


188  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"Now  comes  the  heartbreaking  part  of  my  story: 
We  had  a  little  girl  in  her  third  year.  Her  nurse  was 
a  widow  named  Westlake.  She  took  the  child  rowing 
one  afternoon.  They  never  returned ;  the  boat  was 
found  upside  down  on  the  water.  She  and  the  child 
supposed  to  be  drowned  but  bodies  never  found. 
My  wife  died  of  grief — a  broken  heart,  a  month  later. 
These  events  occurred  nineteen  years  ago;  soon  after 
we  learned  of  the  accidental  drowning  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dashon,  near  Melbourne.  They  left  a  little  girl,  Flor- 
ence, who  inherited  the  entire  estate  and  Hardwick 
was  named  in  the  will  as  executor.  I  tried  to  keep 
in  touch  with  Hardwick,  but  he  soon  dropped  cor- 
respondence. I  had  no  interest  in  the  estate  and  being 
very  busy  I  gave  the  matter  no  further  attention. 

"Did  your  little  daughter  wear  any  sort  of  trin- 
ket?" inquired  Vernon. 

"Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Vanstine,  "A  small  gold  locket 
on  which  was  engraved  her  name,  "Ethel."  It  also 
contained  portraits  of  myself  and  her  mother." 

"A  clue  at  last"  remarked  Vernon  as  he  glanced 
at  D'Mars  who  was  overcome  by  surprise  and  emo- 
tion. Then  he  quickly  added,  "Not  a  word  of  this 
must  be  even  whispered  to  anyone,  especially  the 
ladies.     Women  are  not  good  at  keeping  secrets." 

"Do  you  hope,  I  mean  suspect,  that  my  Ethel 
lives,"  inquired  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"I  had  not  thought  of  that  yet.  My  clue  is  in  a 
different  direction.  I  would  not  advise  you  to  build 
much  on  that  hope."  said  Vernon  with  a  warning  look 
at  D'Mars  which  kept  him  silent. 

After  again  enjoining  absolute  silence  on  Mr.  Van- 
stine, Vernon  took  his  leave.  A  few  days  later  he 
summoned  D'Mars  and  Vanstine  to  his  office. 

"I  have  some  news  for  you,"  he  began.  "We  have 
solved  the  mystery.  Our  bluff  worked  to  perfection. 
We  had  Azzette  arrested  for  the  murder  of  Mrs.  For- 


D'MASS  AFFINITY.  189 

d^ce.  He  was  taken  at  once  to  the  police  station.  He 
was  very  nervous.  Mr  Hackel  informed  him  that  the 
evidence  against  him  was  conclusive. 

He  inquired  who  else  was  suspected.  Hackel  in- 
formed him  that  there  was  no  suspicion  about  it. 

"The  whole  conspiracy  is  out,"  said  Mr.  Hackel. 
"Azel  is  the  heiress  of  the  Dashon  estate.  She  was 
kidnapped  by  Hardwick  and  Mrs.  Fordyce.  Florence 
is  Mrs.  Fordyce's  daughter.  Anybody  can  see  that 
by  looking  at  her.  When  Hardwick  accounts  for  the 
Dashon  estate  he  will  not  have  a  cent  left.  He  will 
not  need  it.  He  is  as  deep  in  the  murder  plot  as  you 
are.     You  will  both  hang." 

Azzette  turned  deathly  pale.  He  looked  like  a 
man  of  wax.     He  inquired  if  Hardwick  was  arrested. 

"He  is,"  said  Hacke],  "and  he  is  already  trying 
Jo  saddle  all  blame  on  you.  He  says  that  you  placed 
in  the  hand  of  the  dead  woman  the  bit  of  fringe  from 
Azel's  garment  in  order  to  fasten  the  crime  on  her 
and  screen  vourself." 

"He  lies  like  a  thief,"  exclaimed  Azzette.  "That 
was  done  by  his  direction." 

"Well,  >-ou  can  see  where  you  are  at,"  said  Hackel. 
"HardKvick  will  hang  you  any  moment  to  save  him- 
self.    There  is  -only  one  wise  course  open  to  you," 

"What  is  that  ?"  inquired  Azzette. 

"Tell  the  truth.     Did  vou  kill  INIrs.  Fordvce  ^" 

"I  did  not." 

"Who  did  it?" 

"I  don't  know." 

"What  do  you  know  about  the  murder?" 

I'What  protection  have  I.  if  I  tell  all  I  know?" 

"You  have  nothing  to  fear  if  you  are  not  the  mur- 
derer.    It  is  between  you  and  Hardwick." 

"Well,  I  didn't  kill  her  and  I  did  not  know  there 
was  any  murder  committed." 


190  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"What  do  vou  know  abbut  the  finding  of  the 
body?" 

"Hardwick  asked  me  to  get  into  his  buggy  and  ride 
down  to  the  mines.  I  did.  As  we  drove  past  the 
foot  of  the  chff  Hardwick  looked  toward  where  Mrs. 
Fordyce's  body  lay  and  asked,  'What  is  that  ?'  I  look- 
ed and  saw  a  woman  lying  among  the  rocks.  We  ap- 
proached the  spot.  It  was  Mrs.  Fordyce.  Hardwick 
pretended  to  be  deeply  affected. 

"Suddenly  he  turned  to  me  and  said,  'Here  is  a 
chance  to  get  rid  of  Azel.  It  is  worth  $50,000  to  you 
and  no  risk.' 

"'How?' I  asked  him. 

"  'Azel  and  Mrs.  Fordyce  have  been  unfriendly. 
Everybody  knows  it.  Let  it  appear  that  they  got  into 
a  wrangle  on  the  bluff  and  Azel  threw  Mrs.  Fordyce 
over  the  cliff.' 

"  'How  will  you  start  such  a  theory  ?  There  are  no 
witnesses.  You  must  have  positive  proof,  or  nobody 
would  believe  it.' 

"  'Very  true,'  said  Hardwick,  'You  can  furnish  the 
proof  and  never  appear  as  a  witness.  It  is  only  a  few 
steps  to  your  house.  Go  there  and  tear  a  bit  of  fringe 
from  a  garment  she  usually  wears,  hide  the  garment  in 
an  outhouse,  bring  the  fringe  here  and  it  will  be  found 
in  Mlrs.  Fordyce's  hand.' 

"I  was  allured  by  the  promise  of  $50,000,  and 
plenty  more  for  I  could  hold  Hardwick  up  when  I 
pleased  after  that.  But  I  wanted  to  protect  Azel's 
life.     So  I  said,  'Then  I  am  to  hang  Azel  for  $50,000  ?' 

"  'No.  There  is  to  be  no  hanging.  Azel  will  deny 
it  all.  The  proof  against  her  will  be  conclusive  and 
the  only  defense  will  be  self  defense  or  insanity.  She 
will  go  to  an  asylum  for  a  while ;  she  will  soon  get  out 
and  you  will  have  $50,000  and  more,  I  will  make  it 
$75,000.' 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  iqi 

"I  d'on't  know  what  devil  possessed  me,  but  I 
obeyed  him.  Sometimes  I  think  he  hypnotized  me. 
I  procured  the  fatal  fringe.  And  as  hick  would  have 
it  the  fringe  is  from  the  sleeve  of  a  dress  that  Azel 
wore  that  very  day.     She  admits  that." 

"But  who  threw  Mrs.  Fordyce  over  the  clifif?"  ask- 
ed Hackel. 

"I  don't  know,  but  I  have  my  suspicions.  Hard- 
wick  is  the  man  who  wanted  to  get  rid  of  her.  He 
tnew  where  to  find  her.  But  I  saw  nothing.'  He 
^ame  driving  by  and  asked  me  to  get  in  and  ride  as  he 
often  did.  I  believe  now  he  had  the  whole  scheme 
planned  to  implicate  Azel  when  he  asked  me  to  ride 
with^him.  Otherwise,  why  should  he  find  Mrs.  For- 
dyce's  body  and  then  leave  it  for  someone  else  to  dis- 
cover ?" 

"You  are  something  of  a  detective  as  well  as  a 
villain,"  said  Hackel  with  a  smile.  "You  reason  well; 
you  are  sure  you  did  not  help  Hard^ick  throw  Mrs' 
Fordyce  over  the  clifT?" 

"I  am  sure  of  that  and  if  Hard^wick  tries  to  impli- 
cate me  in  that  he  is  a  liar." 

"What  about  the  gold  locket  that  Azel  wore  when 
she  was  brought  to  you  ?" 

"I  never  saw  a  locket." 

"It  was  removed  before  you  saw  her  then  ?" 

"She  wore  no  locket  when  I  saw  her,"  declared 
Azzette. 

"Now  tell  us  about  Azel  ?" 

"Hardwick  and  Mrs.  Fordyce  brought  her  to  us 
and  asked  us  to  take  care  of  her,  when  she  was  about 
three  years  old.  Hardwick  paid  me  $800  a  year  and 
no  questions." 

"Who  is  Florence  Dashon  ?" 

"She  is  the  daughter  of  Mrs.  Fordyce.  The  Dasfc- 
ons  had  no  children." 


192  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

"Who  drowned  the  Dashons  ?" 

"I  know  nothing  about  that," 

"Who  was  Mrs.  Fordyce?" 

"She  was  Azel's  nurse  in  Chicago.  Hardwick  was 
there  when  Azel  and  the  nurse  were  supposed  to  be 
drowned." 

A  warrant  was  at  once  issued  for  the  arrest  of 
Hardwick  and  served  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
The  man  of  worry  and  schemes  had  fallen  into  a 
broken  slumber.  He  had  tossed  restlessly  on  his  silk 
embroidered  couch  during  the  earlier  hours  of  the 
night.  Dreams  of  prison  cells,  locks  and  bars,  made 
night  hideous.  Accusers  sprang  up  on  all  sides  while 
his  friends  had  deserted  him.  He  had  just  emerged 
from  one  of  these  horrible  visions  when  a  knock  came 
to  his  door.  An  awful  terror  seized  him  as  he  arose 
and  opened  the  door. 

There  stood  the  sheriff  and  Detective  Hackel. 

"I  have  a  warrant  for  your  arrest  on  a  charge  of 
complicity  in  the  murder  of  Mrs.  Fordyce,"  said  the 
sheriff,  as  he  laid  his  hand  on  the  trembling  man's 
arm. 

"How  do  you  implicate  me?"  inquired  Hardwick, 
with  an  effort  at  surprise  and  innocence. 

"Azzette  has  been  arrested  and  he  has  confessed," 
replied  the  sheriff.  Hardwick  staggered  to  a  chair 
and  sat  down,  the  very  personification  of  despair. 

"We  are  sorry,  but  we  must  trouble  you  to  open 
that  safe/'  said  the  sheriff. 

"I  cannot.  It  contains  all  my  trustee  papers.  I 
would  not  open  it  to  any  one  without  the  advice  of 
my  attorney/'  said  Hardwick. 

"You  may  as  well  open  it.  We  have  a  search  war- 
rant. We  must  see  the  inside  of  that  safe  at  once," 
said  Hackel. 

After   considerable   delay   Hardwick    opened     the 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  193 

safe.  Drawer  after  drawer  was  inspected  without  re- 
sult. Finally,  in  a  small  secret  drawer  was  found  a 
gold  locket  and  chain. 

Hackel  inspected  it.  Hardwick  shook  like  an  aspen 
leaf.     On  the  locket  was  engraved  the  name  Ethel. 

There  were  two  portraits.     A  man  and  a  woman. 

"We  must  trouble  you  to  explain  this  locket,"  said 
Hackel  to  Hardwick,  who,  no  longer  able  to  stand, 
had  staggered  to  his  chair  where  he  sat  silent  and 
pale  as  death. 

"Where  did  you  get  this  locket?"  inquired  Hackel 
with  one  of  his  freezing  looks. 

"I  have  nothing  to  say,"  replied  Hardwick  sul- 
lenly. 

"You  will  now  accompany  us.  You  will  have 
plenty  of  time  to  explain  later  on,"  said  Hackel  as  he 
locked  the  safe  and  put  the  key  in  his  pocket. 

"This  is  an  infamous  outrage  and  you  will  all  pay 
dearly  for  it,"  said  Hardwick  as  the  sheriff  placed  the 
handcuffs  upon  his  wrists. 

Hardwick  demanded  that  his  lawyer  be  summoned 
at  once,  but  that  was  deferred  until  morning.  Officers 
were  placed  in  charge  of  the  Hardwick  mansion  to 
guard  the  property,  and  bright  and  early  next  morning, 
our  attorney,  Mr.  Rexford,  was  in  court,  asking  for 
the  appointment  of  a  receiver  for  the  Hardwick  prop- 
erty on  the  ground  of  fraud  and  embezzlement  as  a 
trustee  for  the  estate  of  Ethel  Vanstine. 

Mr.  Vanstine  could  stand  it  no  longer.  He  stag- 
gered to  his  feet  as  he  exclaimed,  "Found,  my  lost 
Ethel!  Found  after  all  these  years!  O,  that  her 
mother  were  here!"  Then  he  burst  into  tears  and 
cried  like  a  child. 

D'Mars  was  no  less  excited,  but  he  suppressed  his 
emotions.     He  had  expected  this  for  some  days. 

"Yes,   found,"  said  D'Mars,  "I   am  the  happiest 


194  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

man  on  earth.  And  the  two  men  embraced  each  other 
and  wept. 

The  gentlemen  were  about  to  leave  when  Vernon 
reminded  them  that  there  was  important  business  to  be 
considered. 

"No  more  business  for  me  today,"  said  Mr.  Van- 
stine,  "We  shall  see  you  tomorrow.  Hold  fast  to  the 
lines.  We  need  a  lawyer  now.  Come  to  Rockwell's 
tomorrow  afternoon.     Good  day." 

Vanstine  and  D'Mars  drove  rapidly  to  the  Rock- 
v^rell  mansion,  discussing  plans  of  breaking  the  news 
to  Corinna,  as  they  went. 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  195 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Edith's  Hero. 

Ever  since  the  triumph  of  Corinna  and  Edith  at 
the  music  hall  entertainment,  the  members  of  the  high- 
er social  circles  vied  with  each  other  in  entertaining 
the  Stars  and  singing  their  praises.  An  immense 
pressure  was  brought  to  bear  on  them  to  sing  in  the 
choir  in  the  Church  of  the  Redeemer  and  on  two  or 
three  occasions  they  did  sing  solos.  But  the  church 
was  to  them  more  like  an  opera  house  than  an  edifice 
devoted  to  the  service  of  the  meek  and  lowly  Nazarene, 
And  Rev.  Dr.  Metaphor's  sermons  were  so  material- 
istic, Corinna  and  D'Mars  could  not  endure  them. 

Rev.  Dr.  Metaphor  conducted  a  service  in  the  lec- 
ture hall  every  Thursday  evening.  He  opened  with  a 
lecture  of  thirty  minutes,  after  which  an  invitation  was 
extended  to  his  hearers  to  ask  questions  or  even  oflfer 
criticism.  This  departure  was  very  popular  as  it  per- 
mitted the  laity  to  ''talk  back,"  an  opportunity  that 
every  churchgoer  at  some  time  or  other  desires. 

The  Rev.  Doctor  generally  prepared  a  scientific 
discourse,  gathered  from  his  study  of  current  magazine 
literature.  His  learned  discourse  at  times  indicated 
that  the  master  mind  of  man  had  solved  the  problem 
of  the  universe.  He  had  reached  the  genesis  of  the 
protoplasm  and  almost  discovered  the  nerves  that  con- 
nect the  soul  and  the  will  with  the  material  body.  In- 
deed, materialists  were  extravagant  in  their  praises 
of  Dr.  Metaphor  and  hoped  the  time  would  come  when 
even  orthodox  churches  would  see  their  way  to  drop 
the  delusion  and  superstition  of  a  spiritual  existence 
altogether. 

But  on  one  particular  Thursday  evening,  a  climax 


196  B'MABS  AFFINITY. 

was  reached.  Dr.  Metaphor's  subject  was  Christian- 
ity vs.  SociaHsm.  He  declared  that  man  is  part  of 
nature  and  that  he  is  governed  absolutely  by  the  laws 
of  nature.  Man  is  not  only  the  highest  product  of 
nature,  but  to  him  is  assigned  authority  to  expand 
nature. 

"Now,"  said  he,  "what  do  we  find  in  nature  to 
warrant  these  false  and  mischievous  theories  of  Social- 
ism ?"  Socialism  contends  for  human  equality.  It 
would  level  all  mankind  down  to  a  general  average. 
Talent,  brains,  industry,  ability,  economy,  ambition, 
would  count  for  nothing.  What  would  become  of  our 
great  enterprises,  our  cities,  our  railways  and  steam- 
ship lines  in  the  workings  of  a  system  under  which  no 
one  would  try  to  produce  more  than  enough  to  serve 
his  purposes  from  day  to  day? 

"Let  us  apply  the  simple  laws  of  nature  to  these 
mischievous  theories  and  see  them  disappear  like  the 
morning  dew  under  the  sun's  scorching  rays.  Where 
is  the  equality  in  nature?  Are  the  mountains  all  of 
equal  altitude?  Are  the  trees  all  of  a  size?  Is  all 
land  equally  productive  ?  Do  all  flowers  give  forth  the 
same  odor  and  are  they  clad  in  similar  colors?  No. 
A  thousand  times  no.  We  cannot  even  say  that  two 
blades  of  grass  are  precisely  alike.  And  in  this  dif- 
ference the  greater  and  the  smaller,  is  found  the  chief 
beauty  of  nature."     (Demonstrations  of  approval.) 

"Now  let  us  ascend  to  the  Animal  Kingdom,  to 
which  man  belongs.  Where  is  the  equality  among 
animals,  fishes,  fowls,  insects?  Take  for  example,  the 
timid  little  mouse.  Behold  his  beautiful  smooth  fur 
coat,  his  sparkling  eyes,  the  agility  of  his  movements ; 
each  Httle  muscle,  nerve  and  artery  perfectly  adjusted 
to  perform  its  functions ;  his  desires,  passions  and 
loves  similar  to  our  own.  Yet  that  same  nature  that 
gave  him   all   these    functions   has   prepared   another 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  197 

animal  just  a?  perfect  in  functional  attributes,  to  feed 
upon  the  mouse,  and  another  animal  has  been  prepared 
to  feed  upon  this  one.  It  is  the  same  with  the  fish 
and  the  fowl  and  insect  kingdoms.  They  all  feed  upon 
one  another.     (Loud  cheers.) 

"There  is  the  same  disparity  in  the  human  race. 
There  is  the  larger  and  more  powerful  and  the  smaller 
and  less  powerful  intellects.  The  weaker  furnishes 
food  for  the  stronger,  but  unlike  the  brute  creation, 
the  stronger  among  men  do  not  eat  and  destroy  the 
weak  and  helpless.  On  the  contrary  the  intellectually 
strong,  think,  plan  and  manage  for  the  great  masses  of 
weaklings.  Were  it  not  for  the  vast  reservoirs  of 
capital  accumulated  by  men  of  giant  minds,  what 
would  become  of  labor?  Why  the  masses  of  these 
toilers  would  sink  below  the  level  of  the  Digger  Indian 
who  found  it  almost  impossible  to  supply  five  v/ants. 
(Cheers  and  laughter.) 

"Let  us  who  have  been  highly  favored  with  brain 
and  intellect  rejoice  that  we  are  favorites  of  fate.  It 
is  our  own  privilege  and  our  duty  to  make  the  most 
of  our  golden  opportunity.  Let  us  rejoice  that  we 
have  been  endowed  with  love,  that  creative  agency 
which  attracts  men  and  women  and  aiTords  them  a 
foretaste  of  heavenly  bliss.  Let  us  enjoy  our  palatial 
homes,  our  splendid  equipages,  our  rich  garnishments 
and  our  banquet  boards.  They  were  given  us  for  our 
enjoyment.  Vast  minds  require  enjoyments.  Lesser 
mindsare satisfied  with  smaller  pleasures.  Were  it  not 
for  these  mischievous  agitators,  the  so-called  work- 
ing people  would  be  contented  with  the  lot  assigned 
them  by  nature  and  the  world  would'  dwell  in  happi- 
ness. 

"These  wild  philanthropists  tell  us  that  no  one 
should  enjoy  while  another  suiTers.  If  that  were  true, 
there  could  be  no  enjoyment.     The  whole  plan  of  na- 


198  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

ture  involves,  inequality,  injustice,  cruelty,  suffering, 
destruction  and  death.  Nature  is  as  cruel  as  she  is 
prolific.  Nature  pours  millions  of  people  on  the  earth 
for  whom  there  is  no  subsistence.  Whole  nations  are 
depopulated  by  famine;  just  as  vast  herds  of  cactle  are 
destroyed  by  drouth.  What  affair  is  that  of  ours? 
We  did  not  make  them,  nor  did  we  ask  nature  to 
make  them.  If  all  men  were  to  be  happy,  why  did  not 
she  make  them  happy  as  well  as  miserable?  Nature 
permits  evil  because  it  is  part  of  her  scheme.  Shall 
we,  like  blasphemers,  fly  in  the  face  of  nature  and  re- 
buke her,  by  endeavoring  to  improve  on  her  work? 

"All  this  misery  and  desolation  round  about  us 
has  one  purpose.  That  purpose  is  to  highten  our 
pleasures.  It  reminds  us  that  we  are  reserved  for 
happiness.  Rejoice,  therefore,  in  your  wealth,  in  your 
health,  in  your  love.  And  what  is  love?  What  is  this 
nature  enforced  aflinity  which  draws  two  beings  to- 
gether, and  forms  the  impact  of  two  spirits?  Life. 
Triumphant  life  gladdens  nature.  What  a  powerful 
impulse  is  love.  Yet  we  have  among  us  those  who  claim 
that  they  can  resist  it.  Do  you  beheve  it?  (Laughter). 
Ah,  my  friends,  believe  them  not.  Love  thrills  every 
nerve,  fibre,  muscle  and  artery  of  the  body.  Love  con- 
quers death.  It  is  the  elixir  of  life.  Love  with  its 
ravishing  beauty  and  entwining  arms  is  heaven.  Love 
is  religion.     God  is  love."     (Prolonged  applause.) 

"Remarks  and  criticisms  are  now  in  order,"  re- 
marked the  Rev.  Doctor  as  he  sat  down  and  fanned 
himself. 

Corinna  and  Edith  were  shocked,  not  only  at  the 
cruel,  un-Christianlike  and  beastly  sentiments  express- 
ed, but  over  the  approval  of  the  audience. 

"Were  I  a  man,"  whispered  Corinna  to  Edith,  "I 
would  criticise  such  a  lecture." 

"These  people  mean  well,  but  they  are  educated  to 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  199 

those  ideas.  It  would  not  do  to  criticise,"  replied 
Edith. 

At  this  moment  a  young  man  about  the  center  of 
the  auditorium  arose.  He  wore  a  pale  and  gentle 
face,  but  a  smothering  volcano  lay  behind  his  dark 
eyes. 

"I  would  be  derelict  in  respect  for  myself  and  duty 
to  my  fellowmen,  as  well  as  to  my  God,  were  1  to  re- 
main silent  in  the  presence  of  this  shocking  outrage 
upon  all  that  is  revered  in  religion  and  sacred  in  Chris- 
tian tradition,"  was  his  opening  sentence. 

Excitement  ensued.  One  whispered  to  another 
and  soon  all  knew  that  the  speaker  was  Horace  Col- 
ston, editor  of  a  people's  paper  known  as  Truth's 
Torch. 

"After  such  a  lecture  from  a  minister  is  applauded 
in  the  class-room  of  a  Christian  church,  let  no  one  ask 
why  infidelity,  materialism,  agnosticism  and  atheism 
are  gaining  ground  in  this  country,"  he  continued. 

Groans  and  hisses  were  very  audible  in  the  audi- 
ence. 

"The  gospel  which  you  profess  to  preach  teaches 
that  God  is  the  just,  loving,  merciful  and  benevolent 
Father  of  all.  A  just  and  benevolent  father  even  in 
this  world  of  injustice,  gives  equal  opportunity  to  all 
his  children.  How  much  more  so  does  God  do  jus- 
tice to  His  children  ?  Your  lecture  makes  Him  a  God 
of  cruelty  and  injustice — even  worse,  a  God  of  mere 
chance.  Then  you  apply  that  sacred  term  love  to  the 
lowest  and  basest  passions  of  animal  nature.  You 
exalt  an  incident  of  life  common  to  all  animals,  to  life's 
end  and  purpose.  Then  you  elevate  this  passion  which 
you  declare  reason  cannot  control,  to  the  supremacy  of 
God.  Love,  sacred  attribute  of  divine  goodness ;  es- 
sence of  infinite  purity  which  saves  mortalitv  from  the 
fiery  tide  of  animal  passion ;  how  dare  you  snatch  it 


200  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

from  the  wings  of  angels ;  strew  it  upon  the  sHmy  floor 
of  sensuality,  amid  toads  and  lizards  and  crawling 
vipers  ?" 

Cries  of  "Put  him  out,"  now  came  from  all  parts  of 
the  room.  A  woman  struck  Horace  with  a  parasol 
and  all  sorts  of  missiles  came  fast  and  furious  toward 
his  head.  The  uproar  was  intense.  Horace  made  his 
way  to  the  street  where  he  was  taken  in  custody  by  an 
officer,  but  released  before  he  reached  the  police  sta- 
tion. 

Rev.  Metaphor  restored  order  and  reminded  the 
audience  that  Christians  must  expect  such  trials  and 
tribulations  and'  they  should  be  borne  with  resigna- 
tion. 

Corinna  and  Edith  were  very  much  impressed  by 
the  incident.  "His  bravery  reminded  me  of  the  cour- 
age of  the  early  Christians,"  remarked  Corinna  to 
Edith  as  they  returned  home.  "I  hope  soon  to  have 
an  opportunity  to  thank  him  personally  for  his  defense 
of  Christianity." 

The  ladies'  learned  from  D'Mars  that  Horace  Col- 
ston had  abandoned  a  lucrative  law  practice  for  jour- 
nalism. He  published  Truth's  Torch,  a  social  and  in- 
dustrial paper  that  enjoyed  a  wide  circulation,  but 
was  generally  boycotted  by  the  business  public  because 
of  the  plain  truths  it  told  and  its  radical  views.  Mr. 
Colston,  while  abused  and  vilified  by  the  wealthy 
classes,  was  a  young  man  of  irreproachable  charac- 
ter. 

At  the  ladies'  request  Mr.  Colston  called  with 
D'Mars  and  was  introduced.  He  told  the  ladies  of 
his  struggles  and  discouragements  and  they  thanked 
him  for  his  brave  stand  for  Christian  morality  and 
expressed  the  hope  that  some  day  Truth's  Torch  would 
be  as  able  to  duplicate  truth  as  were  the  monopoly 
press  to  cater  to  the  idolatry  of  human  pride,  greed 
and  selfishness. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  201 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Lord  CalEdon  Unmasked. 

A  few  days  later  Edith  gave  a  Madder  Lake  tea  to 
a  few  friends  of  the  upper  crust,  and  to  the  surprise 
of  all  Mr.  Colston  was  among  the  guests.  A  quietly 
suppressed  sensation  bordering  on  panic  was  the  re- 
sult. Of  course  Mr.  Colston  was  treated  civilly  as  the 
guest  of  the  Rockwells.  But  Mrs.  Roulet  took  oc- 
casion to  express  her  surprise  to  Corinna. 

"Of  course  he  is  intellectual  and  cultured  and  all 
that,  but  he  has  no  social  standing.  His  assaults  on 
society  in  the  Torch  are  awful.  They  say  he  is  an 
anarchis!^/' 

"Have  you  been  reading  the  Torch?"  inquired 
Corinna. 

"O,  no,  I  never  saw  a  copy  of  it.  I  would  not 
permit  it  in  my  house," 

"Then  how  can  you  judge  and  condemn  it,  when 
you  do  not  know  what  it  contains?" 

"Its  reputation  is  enough  to  condemn  it.  No  per- 
son of  any  standing  would  read  it." 

"Why  I  have  been  reading  it  and  I  think  that  it 
is  the  only  paper  that  discusses  social  and  industrial 
problems  from  a  scientific  standpoint.  It  condemns 
human  pride  and  selfishness,  and  on  idolatry  of  wealth 
and  mercenary  fashion  and  materialism,  it  is  a  verit- 
able iconoclast.  Now,  do  you  not  think  that  we  carry 
these  fads  a  little  too  far?  Don't  you  think  that  our^ 
I  am  tempted  to  say  vulgar,  display  of  wealth  and 
luxury  does  quite  as  much  to  make  the  common  people 
envious  and  discontented  and  therefore  unhappy,  as 
does  the  ranting  of  anarchists?"  calmly  remarked 
Corinna 


202  D'MARS  AFEINITY. 

Mrs.  Roulet  was  shocked,  but  she  was  a  diplomat. 
She  knew  that  Cormna,  although  the  guest  of  the 
Rockwells,  was  not  in  affluent  circumstances,  had  no 
doubt  felt  the  pinch  of  poverty^  and  naturally  sympa- 
thized with  the  poor.  But  she  had  now  entered  the 
highest  circles  of  wealth.  She  possessed  talents  worth 
millions.  She  could  make  $5,000  a  night  out  of  her 
voice.  The  thing  for  her  to  do  was  to  set  her  cap  for 
a  rich  husband.  She  must  be  gradually  reasoned 
out  of  her  plebeian  ideas  now  that  her  environments 
had  improved.     So  she  replied: 

"It  is  true  that  I  have  not  read  the  Torch.  But 
you  will  admit  that  general  bad  reputation  is  suffici- 
ent ground  for  condemnation.  It  is  always  based  on 
something  tangible." 

This  was  a  bad  break,  for  Corinna  once  had  a  very 
bad  reputation  among  the  better  classes  in  Sidney  and 
it  was  wholly  unwarranted. 

"Reputation  is  what  people  say  of  a  person — often 
what  some  people  say — people  who  have  not  even 
investigated.  Character  is  what  one  really  is.  I  have 
known  persons  of  good  character  to  bear  a  very  bad 
reputation  among  some  people  who  had  not  investi- 
gated. No  person  should  be  judged  and  condemned 
unheard.  I  am  informed  that  the  Torch  has  an  im- 
mense circulation.  Perhaps  its  readers  are  the  most 
capable  of  judging." 

"Do  you  believe  that  the  rich  should  divide  up 
everything  they  have  with  the  mob?"  inquired  Gebby 
Fredhart,  a  nice  young  man  who  had  inherited  a  few 
millions  in  coin. 

"That  was  the  advice  the  Master  gave  to  the  rich 
young  man — not  only  to  divide  his  wealth  and  keep  a 
portion,  but  to  give  it  all  away,"  replied  Corinna. 
"But  the  Torch  does  not  even  take  the  strong  ground 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  203 

on  which  the  Messiah  stood.     All  it  contends  for  is 
justice,  free  and  equal  opportunity  for  all." 

"Then,  if  I  have  a  million  dollars  in  the  bank  I 
should  give  it  away,  in  order  that  idle,  lazy  loafers 
might  have  free  opportunity." 

"Not  so,"  replied  Corimia.  "Money  is  not  oppor- 
tunity. Man  can  live  without  money,  but  he  cannot 
exist   without  opportunity." 

This  was  too  deep  a  proposition  for  the  financier, 
so  he  relapsed  into  silence. 

"Did!  you  know  that  Lord  Caledon  arrives  tomor- 
row?" remarked  Mrs.  Roulet. 

"So  I  have  heard,"  replied  Corinna. 

"Some  of  us  wondered  that  Edith  did  not  defer 
her  luncheon  until  after  his  arrival,  as  they  are  very 
particular  friends,"  remarked  ]\Irs.  Roulet. 

"O,  I  don't  know,"  replied  Corinna  carelessly, 
"Edith  met  him  in  Paris.  I  doubt  that  sEe  ever  gave 
the  incident  a  second  thought." 

"Well,  he  did.  Mrs.  Nipple  McElimsie  is  a  close 
friend  of  his  and  she  says  that  Edith  is  the  attraction 
that  brings  him  here." 

"Do  you  know  anything  of  him  ?" 

"O,  yes.  He  was  the  lion  of  Newport  two  years 
ago.  We  entertained  him  and  he  turned  the  heads  of 
half  the  girls  of  our  set.    But  he  didn't  care  to  marry." 

"So  you  think  he  has  set  his  eye  upon  Edith." 

"I  know  it.  He  is  a  great  catch.  Very  close  to 
the  royal  family.  He  has  immense  estates.  He  will 
be  the  social  lion  here  this  season.  This  is  why  I  have 
spoken  of  the  presence  of  that  man  Colston  here.  It 
would  be  too  bad  should  Edith  become  interested  in 
him  at  a  time  when  she  can  carry  off  the  prize  of  the 
season." 

"I  suppose  Edith's  father  would  have  some  in- 
fluence." 


204  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

"I  talked  with  him  and  he  don't  seem  to  care.  Hfe 
has  undergone  a  great  change  since  he  regained  his 
health.  That  was  a  strange  cure.  None  of  us  ex- 
pected to  see  him  return  alive." 

"The  ways  of  God  are  inscrutable." 

"Do  you  think  the  cure  was  miraculous?" 

"It  was  not  produced  by  man,"  replied  Corinna. 

The  next  day  Corinna  and  Edith  were  in  the 
music  room  discussing  the  luncheon  and  the  guests  and 
the  arrival  of  Lord  Caledon. 

"I  do  not  know  whether  I  care  for  him  or  not.  We 
know  so  little  of  him.  But  we  will  treat  him  well  if  he 
calls.  I  want  you  to  meet  him  and  give  me  your 
opinion." 

At  this  juncture  D'Mars  and  Vanstine  arrived 
from  their  interview  with  detective  Vernon.  They 
planned  the  manner  of  breaking  the  news  to  Corinna, 
but  their  plans  miscarried. 

The  ladies  noticed  that  both  were  excited.  They 
could  not  conceal  it.  Upon  entering  the  room  Mr. 
Vanstine  was  instantly  overcome  by  the  pent  up  hunger 
of  a  father's  heart.  He  gave  way  and  seizing  Corinna 
in  a  firm  embrace,  he  exclaimed,  "Ethel,  my  long  lost 
daughter.  Found  at  last.  You  are  my  daughter.  We 
have  heard  from  Australia.  The  mystery  is  solved. 
My  daughter,  my  Ethel,"  and  he  kissed  her  again  and 
again. 

Corinna  was  so  overcome  by  surprise  that  for  a 
moment  she  was  speechless. 

"Father,"  she  finally  exclaim'ed,  "is  it  true  ?  Can  I 
say  father?" 

"Yes,  it  is  true.  Have  no  fears.  All  is  clear. 
My  lost  Ethel  found." 

"It  is  true.  The  mystery  is  solved,"  said  D'Mars 
to  Edith,  who  witnessed  the  scene  in  blank  amazement. 

The  fond  father  finally  released  his  daughter,  who 
sank  on  a  sofa,  overcome  by  emotion. 


D'3fAES  AFFINITY.  205 

But  she  was  released  only  to  be  caught  up  in  the 
arms  of  D']\Iars  who  kissed  her  and  claimed  his  prize. 

The  scene  and  explanation  that  followed  need  not 
be  gone  over  in  detail.  It  closed  by  D'Mars  and  Ethel 
joining  hands  and  receiving  the  parental  blessing,  with 
Edith  as  the  sole  witness.  Edith  next  embraced  Ethel 
and  father  and  lover  retired. 

The  following  afternoon  detective  Vernon  and  At- 
torney Solomon  called  at  the  Rockwell  residence  for 
consultation  wih  D']\iars  and  Vanstine  on  the  Aus- 
tralian matter.  While  they  were  closeted  in  the  library 
an  intensely  interesting  drama  was  on  in  the  parlor. 

Lord  Caledon  had  called  on  Edith.  He  desired 
an  introduction  to  the  famous  artist,  Corinna.  The 
reception  parlor  was  separated  from  the  library  by  a 
heavily  draped  opening.  After  the  compliments  of  the 
season,  Edith  brought  in  her  guest  Corinna.  Lord 
Caledon  was  all  anticipation.  He  was  prepared  to  make 
his  most  correct  courtly  bow. 

Corinna  had  advanced  only  a  few  steps  when  she 
had  a  full  view  of  Lord  Caledon.  She  was  instantly 
transfixed  to  the  spot.  Her  fresh  young  blood  was 
congealed  and  every  nerve  paralyzed,  by  the  bewilder- 
ing surprise  that  met  her  gaze. 

"That  man  is  Cobden!"  she  exclaimed. 

Lord  Caledon  stood  ashy  pale,  every  nerve  un- 
strung for  the  instant. 

It  was  a  critical  moment.  Lord  Caledon  first  re- 
gained his  composure.  He  knew  that  nothing  short  of 
a  flat  denial  would  even  relieve  the  present  crisis.  Over- 
come by  surprise  and  by  Corinna's  agitation,  Edith  was 
unable  to  introduce  them.  The  suspense  was  intense. 
Lord  Caledon  was  the  first  to  break  it. 

"Cobden."  repeated  the  visitor  with  feigned  as- 
tonishment, "I  am  Lord  Caledon  at  your  service,"  he 
added  in  tones  intended  to  be  dignified.  "I  am  unable 
to  understand." 


206  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"You  are  Cobden,  the  miscreant,  who  conspired 
with  the  Duke  of  Cronstadt  to  encompass  my  destruc- 
tion at  Melbourne.  What  fate  has  ordained  that  we 
should  meet  again?"  exclaimed  Corinna,  as  she  clung 
to  Edith  trembling-  with  excitement. 

The  voices  attracted  D'Mars  and  Mr.  Vanstine, 
who  instantly  appeared  on  the  scene, 

"What  does  this  mean?"  inquired  Mr.  Vanstine, 
as  he  grasped  Corinna  in  his  arms,  and  Edith,  who  was 
now  quite  overcome  leaned  on  D'Miars'  arms  for 
support. 

Lord  Caledon  saw  that  nothing  but  a  bold  strike 
would  help  him  now. 

"I  am  Lord  Caledon,"  he  said  with  well  feigned 
hauteur,  ''I  made  a  social  call  on  Miss  Rockwell,  whom 
I  met  in  Paris.  This  young  woman  insists  that  I  am 
Cobden,  a  person  whom  I  do  not  even  know,  nor  ever 
heard  of.  This  is  all  I  know.  I  blame  no  one.  I  am 
evidently  a  victim  of  mistaken  identity." 

By  this  time  Detective  Vernon  and  Lawyer  Solo- 
mon arrived  on  the  scene. 

"I  cannot  be  mistaken.  It  was  only  four  years  ago 
that  we  met  in  Australia.  You  are  the  man  Cobden, 
the  valet  of  the  Duke  of  Cronstadt,  who  sought  my 
ruin.  You  know  all  about  it.  I  have  reason  to  re- 
member you,  and  I  could  pick  you  out  of  a  thousand 
men,"  replied  Corinna  emphatically. 

"If  this  is  true,  and  I  believe  it  is,  you  will  answer 
to  me  personally  for  the  infamous  outrage,"  said 
D'Mars,  advancing  a  step  toward  Lord  Caledon. 

"I  am  prepared  to  answer  personally  for  all  my 
acts.  If  you  assume  responsibility  for  this  insult,  you 
shall  account  to  me  personally,"  replied  Lord  Caledon, 
as  he  handed  his  card  to  D'Mars. 

"I  shall  now,"  he  continued.  "Leave  this  house," 
and  he  walked  toward  the  door. 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  207 

"Just  a  moment,"  said  Vernon.  "Are  you  really 
Lord  Caledon?" 

"I  have  so  stated.  My  card  to  you  also.  I  am  not 
accustomed  to  such  experiences.     Good  day." 

"Don't  be  in  a  hurry,"  replied  Vernon,  "I  happen 
to  know  that  Lord  Caledon  and  Cobden  are  one  and 
the  same  person.  A  warrant  has  been  issued  at  Sidney 
for  your  arrest.  You  are  charged  with  conspiring  to 
injure  the  character  of  Azel  Azzette,  this  lady  who  has 
been  proven  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Vanstine,  and  the  sole 
heir  to  the  Dashon  estate.  I  am  instructed  to  detain 
you  pending  advices  from  Sidney.  You  will  therefore 
consider  yourself  under  arrest." 

"I  knew  he  was  Cobden,"  said  Corinna,  as  she 
sank  into  a  sofa. 

"I  shall  settle  this  matter  with  you,  Lord  Cale- 
don," said  D'Mars,  advancing  toward  him. 

"Stop,"  said  Vernon,  "He  is  my  prisoner  and  he 
shall  not  be  assaulted.     The  law  must  take  its  course." 

Lord  Caledon  was  now  the  picture  of  despair. 
Through  his  own  perfidy  he  had  lost  two  heiresses, 
the  wealthiest  in  the  world,  and  now  he  was  on  the 
brink  of  an  exposure  that  wOuld  be  an  international 
scandal  and  bar  him  from  all  society.  But  while  he 
was  an  accomplished  villain,  he  was  no  fool.  He  was 
a  man  of  devices.  He  thought  quickly  and  acted 
promptly. 

"Can  I  have  a  private  interview  with  you  gentle- 
men?" he  asked. 

"Certainly,"  replied  Vernon.  "You  will  find  us 
gentlemen." 

"Now,"  said  Lord  Caledon,  after  they  were  seated 
in  the  library  and  Corinna  and  Edith  had  retired,  "I 
realize  that  I  am'  up  against  it  good  and  hard  and  I 
wish  to  make  an  explanation  and  a  proposition." 

"We  would  be  pleased  to  hear  you,"  replied  Solo- 
mon. 


208  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

"I  was  a  younger  brother  to  the  heir  of  the  Cale- 
don  estates.  I  was  cut  off  without  a  penny  and  found 
myself  a  soldier  of  fortune  acting  in  the  capacity  of 
valet  for  the  Duke  of  Cronstadt,  who  was  pretty  much 
in  my  own  plight.  He  was  endeavoring  to  win  the 
heart  of  Florence  Dashon,  the  heiress.  He  was  op- 
posed byHardwick  and  Mrs.  Fordyce  and  failed.  How 
to  raise  the  wind  in  order  to  get  away  from  Australia 
puzzled  us.  Hardwick  and  Mrs.  Fordyce  knew  our 
circumstances. 

"Mrs.  Fordyce  proposed  to  pay  me  $10,000  if  I 
would  get  up  some  sort  of  scandal  against  Azel,  I 
revolted  against  her  first  propositioUv  She  said  that 
Azel  was  proud  spirited  and  she  wanted  something 
done  that  would  compel  her  to  leave  the  city  of  Sidney. 

"I  consulted  the  Duke  and  he  proposed  to  aid  me, 
provided  he  was  taken  into  the  enterprise  and  the 
amount  doubled.  I  feared  that  they  would  not  put 
up  $20,000,  but  the  Duke  said  they  had  some  object 
in  banishing  Azel  and  theywould  not  let  a  few  dollars 
upset  it.  He  was  right.  Mrs.  Fordyce  paid  us  $10,000 
each  for  our  part  in  the  episode  at  the  hotel  in  Mel- 
bourne. 

"I  found  Azel  a  perfect  lady  in  every  respect  and 
the  fact  that  she  is  as  pure  today  as  the  driven  snow, 
so  far  as  we  are  concerned  is  the  only  solace  that  I 
have.  I  felt  awfully  mean  over  the  dastardly  act  since 
my  brother  died  and  I  came  into  the  estates,  I  have 
often  wished  that  I  could  make  amends  to  her." 

"We  can  understand  how  your  conscience  smote 
you,"  remarked  D'Mars. 

"I  doubt  if  you  can.  Only  those  who  have  had 
such  an  experience  can  appreciate  a  living  hell  that 
one  must  carry  about  in  his  bosom — yes,  must  carry 
with  him  to  his  grave  and  beyond  the  tomb.  I  am 
paying  a  part  of  the  merited  penalty  at  this  moment, 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  209 

in  my  confession.  I  was  a  victim  of  environment. 
To  some  extent  we  all  are.  My  environments  were 
bad.  I  knew  nothing  but  selfishness  and  my  own 
pleasures.  But  this  has  taught  me  to  sympathize  with 
sufferers — yes,  with  the  worst  criminals.  Only  those 
who  know  the  temptation  one  had  can  judge  him." 

"You  are  sound  in  that  proposition,  an)rway,"  re- 
marked Solomon. 

"True,"  said  DTMars. 

"And  your  proposition,"  inquired  Solomon. 

"I  know  nothing  of  the  object  of  the  conspiracy 
against  Azel.  Of  course,  I  realize  that  I  furthered  it 
and  that  what  I  did  was  done  for  money.  God  knows 
I  needed  it  badly." 

"Are  you  aware  that  the  Australian  law  is  very 
severe  against  even  the  part  you  and  the  Duke  played?" 
queried  Solomon. 

"I  am.  But  what  is  to  be  gained  for  anyone  by 
giving  publicity  to  a  world-wide  scandal  ?  It  is  buried 
now.  It  would  injure  me,  of  course,  but  not  half  as 
much  as  it  would  humiliate  Corinna.  She  has  outlived 
it  in  Sydney.  Nio  one  attaches  blame  to  her.  Why 
not  suppress  the  whole  thing?" 

"Mrs.  Fordyce  has  gone  to  her  reward.  Hard- 
wick  must  be  punished.  When  it  gets  into  court  the 
whole  ball  of  wax  must  come  out,"  remarked  Solomon. 

"We  have  plenty  of  cases  and  evidence  against 
Hardwick  without  going  into  the  Melbourne  affair 
further  than  to  show  that  Hardwick  paid  money  to 
accomplices.  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  his  bank  books 
will  show  that.  At  any  rate  he  cannot  overcome  the 
inference  against  him  in  the  ]\Ielbourne  matter  should 
we  drag  that  in,"  said  Air.  Vanstine. 

"Very  true,"  remarked  Solomon.  "Hardwick  has 
plenty  to  answer  for,  but  I  want  to  ask  Mr.  Vernon 
how  extensively  it  is  kno\\Ti  that  Lord  Caledon  and 
Cobden  are  one  and  the  same  person." 


210  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

"It  is  not  known  outside  our  ag-ency  and  you 
people,  to  my  knowledge,"  replied  Vernon. 

"Very  well.  I  am  willing-  to  let  Lord  Caledon 
go  free    for    the  present,"  remarked  D'Mars. 

Lord  Caledon  was  suddenly  called  to  England 
on  pressing  business  and  the  gossips  wondered  if 
Edith  had  rejected  him  for  that  "miserable  crank" 
Colston. 

Hardwick  was  removed  from  the  trusteeship  of 
the  Dashon  estate  which  amounted  to  twenty-five  mil- 
lions and  which  was  vested  in  Ethel,  His  trial  was 
a  long  drawn  out  affair.  Depositions  were  taken  in 
New  York  and  he  was  finally  convicted  of  conspiracy 
against  Ethel  and  embezzlement  of  trust  funds  and 
sentenced  to  ten  years  in  prison.  For  the  kidnapping 
of  Ethel  which  occurred  in  the  States,  he  could  not 
be  tried  in  Australia,  so  that  part  of  the  case  was 
dropped.  At  the  end  of  the  trial,  his  lawyers  had  him 
plucked  as  bare  as  a  beggar's  goose.  The  great 
masses  of  plain  people  who  always  insisted  that  Azel 
was  innocent  were  vindicated  and  the  newspapers 
pointed  with  pride  to  their  claim  that  the  whole  affair 
was  shrouded  in  some  dark  mystery, 

Florence,  who  had  married  the  Duke  of  Cronstadt 
notwithstanding  the  Cobden  affair,  was  prostrated  over 
her  changed  fortunes.  She  knew  all  along  that  she 
was  a  bogus  heiress  and  that  Mrs.  Fordyce  was  her 
mother.  But  she  and  the  Duke  resided  in  a  palace  in 
St.  Petersburg  and  lived  in  princely  style  on  the  in- 
come from  her  Australian  estates.  But  to  do  her  jus- 
tice she  did  not  know  that  poor  Azel  was  the  rightful 
heiress.  She  had  been  informed  that  the  true  heiress 
had  been  drowned  and  that  no  wrong  had  been  done 
in  giving  the  estates  to  her. 

When  the  Duke  learned  that  his  wife's  estates  in 
Australia    had    been  given  to  Ethel,  he  threatened  to 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  211 

secure  a  divorce  and  abandon  her  and  her  child  to  t'he 
care  of  the  cold  world.  In  this  dire  emergency 
Florence  made  a  pilgrimage  to  New  York  to  throw 
herself  at  the  feet  of  Ethel  and  beg  for  mercy. 

After  Ethel  had  heard  her  story  she  consulted  her 
father,  sent  for  Solomon  and  D'Mars  and  laid  the  mat- 
ter before  them. 

"You  have  the  power  to  do  exactly  as  you  please," 
remarked  Mr.  Solomon. 

"1  have  left  the  decision  of  this  affair  entirely  to 
Ethel,"  said  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"I  know  how  Ethel  will  decide,  and  I  am  proud 
of  her  for  it,"  said  D'Mars. 

"Make  a  deed  of  all  the  property  to  Florence  in 
her  own  right  while  she  lives,  and  to  her  children,  in 
fee,  if  any  survive  her,  and  in  the  event  that  she  leaves 
no  living  issue  the  estate  is  to  revert  to  me  or  to  my 
devisees,"  said  Ethel. 

"Permit  me  to  congratulate  you  and  to  further 
remark  that  you  are  already  quite  a  lawyer,"  remarked 
Mr.  Solomon. 

When  Florence  learned  of  Ethel's  decision,  she 
was  overjoyed,  and  returned  to  St.  Petersburg  the 
happiest  woman  in  the  world. 


212  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

SociKTY  Shocked. 

The  restoration  of  Ethel  Vanstine  to  her  father 
produced  a  profound  sensation.  Her  fortune  of  twenty- 
five  millions  in  her  own  right,  to  which  w^as  added 
her  prospective  inheritance  of  five  hundred  millions 
from  her  father  put  Ethel  in  the  highest  niche  of  social 
influence.  Her  further  accomplishments  as  a  musician 
and  an  artist  elevated  her  still  higher.  The  additional 
circumstance  that  she  was  engaged  to  D'Mars  the  bil- 
lionaire, constituted  her  the  potentate  of  the  inner  so- 
cial circle.  Indeed,  for  one's  name  to  appear  on  her 
list  was  considered  a  mark  of  distinction. 

Mr.  Vanstine  now  becante  a  society  man.  He 
purchased  one  of  the  finest  residences  on  Fifth  Ave- 
nue, to  which  he  added  a  studio  for  Ethel  and  an  art 
gallery  that  rivalled  the  finest  in  Europe.  D'Mars  pur- 
chased an  adjoining  lot,  removed  a  half  million  dollar 
residence  and  began  the  erection  of  a  palace  that  would 
have  no  peer  in  the  city. 

Horace  Colston  called  regularly  on  Edith  and  was 
a  warm  friend  of  Ethel  and  D'Mars.  This  was  a  thorn 
in  the  side  of  society.  No  ©ne  could  understand  why 
Edith,  so  beautiful,  charming  and  accomplished  could 
receive  the  attentions  of  a  man  who  daily  scored  the 
fashions  and  frivolities  of  society,  and  what  was  still 
worse — demanded  free  and  equal  opportunities  for 
all. 

Horace  now  put  in  faster  presses  and  in  many 
ways  improved  Truth's  Torch.  The  Torch,  in  fact, 
began  to  light  up  the  steps  of  the  brown  stone  fronts. 
The  big  department  stores  and  jewelry  houses  lifted 
the  boycott.  Edith  furnishedablearticles  for  the  Wo- 
men's Department.     She  discussed  health  and  declared 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  213 

that  fear  and  worry  superinduced  by  mercenary  fash- 
ion were  the  chief  causes  of  all  disease.  She  told 
mothers  of  their  power  to  mold  the  character  of  chil- 
dren through  pre-natal  influences.  This  department 
was  eagerly  read  by  all  women,  and  a  few  who  heed- 
ed began  to  feel  its  influences  for  good.  It  was  no 
longer  a  smart  thing  for  fashionable  women  to  boast 
that  they  had  never  seen  a  copy  of  Truth's  Torch. 

But  the  literature  of  the  Torch  sounded  strange 
to  them.  They  could  not  understand  how  Edith,  a 
woman  who  could  afford  a  new  thousand  dollar  gown 
and  fifty  dollar  hat  every  day  in  the  year,  could  op- 
pose fashion  and  even  denounce  it  as  mercenary  and 
an  evil  to  be  condemned. 

"What  would  we  do  to  amuse  and  entertain  our- 
selves ?"  said  Mrs.  Roulet  to  Mrs.  Vaultman,  ''were  it 
not  for  fashion  and  social  functions  of  the  higher  or- 
der?" 

"I  have  solved  the  whole  thing.  Edith  is  nothing 
more  than  a  school  girl.  She  looks  up  to  Ethel  and 
believes  in  her.  Ethel  has  never  been  in  society.  Her 
experience  has  been  confined  to  camp  life  and  a  few 
years  in  a  convent.  She  in  turn,  believes  in  that  Sister 
Celestine  of  whom  she  speaks.  Celestine  is  evidently 
a  spiritualist,  a  dreamer  and  a  theosophist.  She  lives 
in  an  idealistic  world,  no  more  like  the  real  world  than 
an  oyster  is  like  a  rabbit.  D'^Iars  and  Ethel  are  both 
mediums.  They  believe  that  they  are  under  the  in- 
fluence of  high  celestial  spirits.  Rockwell  and  Van- 
stine  are  men  who  ought  to  have  some  sense,  but  they 
are  under  the  spell  of  these  two  women.  Rockwell 
believes  that  Ethel  is  an  angel.  It  is  hinted  that  she 
cured  him.  He  believes  that  she  did  it  through  a 
superior  power." 

"I  never  heard  that,"  said  Mrs.  Roulet 

"Well,  Mrs.  Vellum  told  me  that  Mr.  Vanstine 


214  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

as  much  as  admitted  it  to  her.  You  know  it  was 
thought  some  time  ago  that  he  and  Mirs.  Vellum  would 
make  a  match?" 

"That's  all  over  now." 

"Certainly,  Ethel  would  not  permit  it  and  he  is 
like  putty  in  her  hands." 

"He  has  no  room  in  his  heart  for  anyone  but  Ethel. 
H,e  is  wild  over  her." 

"And  well  he  may.  Who  would  not  be  proud  of 
so  talented  a  daughter?" 

"She  is  certainly  a  remarkable  woman." 

"She  is  a  good  woman.  All  she  needs  is  social 
training.  She  has  no  realization  of  what  society  is. 
We  must  train  her." 

"Well,  Edith  is  just  as  bad." 

"Worse.  She  is  under  the  influence  of  Colston. 
He  is  a  dangerous  man.  He  will  have  them  all  under 
his  h3'pnotic  influence  unless  something  is  done." 

"Poor  Edith." 

"How  did  Colston  capture  her?" 

"You  remember  the  night  that  Rev.  Metaphor 
made  some  breaks  and  how  Colston  assailed  him?" 

"Yes.  I  thought  Metaphor  was  rather  incautious 
that  evening,  knowing  that  Colston  was  there,  and 
that  he  would  have  the  privilege  of  replying." 

"Yes.  Metaphor  is  a  good  man,  but  at  times  he 
is  incautious." 

"He  permits  his  enthusiasm'  to  get  the  better  of 
his  judgment." 

"He  was  right  though." 

"Of  course  he  was,  but  it  is  not  always  best  to  do 
even  the  right  thing  at  the  wrong  time." 

"Well,  Ethel  and  Edith  were  there.  Colston's 
ideas  were  on  the  same  trolley  with  theirs  and  they  re- 
garded him  as  a  hero." 

"And  a  martyr." 

"Yes,   that   assault   on  him   was   an   injudicious 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  215 

thingf.  Had  they  let  him  go  on  he  would  have  made 
such  a  fool  of  himself,  that  even  Ethel  and  Edith  would 
have  been  disgusted." 

"I  don't  know  about  that.  He  is  cunning  and  he 
can  present  such  stupid  propositions  in  a  plausible  and 
convincing  way  to  people  who  do  not  know  him/* 

"It  is  very  unfortunate  that  the  girls  were  there 
that  evening." 

"I  think  that  after  they  have  gone  through  one 
social  season  they  will  get  their  eyes  opened  and  their 
ideas  enlarged  and  revised." 

"Would  it  not  be  well  to  get  them  into  our  society 
of  social  progress?" 

"A  capital  idea." 

"Something  must  be  done  in  this  country  to  draw 
the  lines,  so  that  we  can  know,  who  is  who." 

"It  has  reached  a  point  now  where  you  can  scarce- 
ly tell  a  shop  girl  on  the  avenues  from  a  person  of  con- 
sequence." 

"And  the  young  men  are  to  blame.  They  have 
got  these  shop  girls  spoiled." 

"And  the  elderly  men,  too,  are  about  as  bad  as 
the  young  men.  One  can't  tell  where  they  are  any 
more." 

"Well,  what  does  that  matter,  as  long  as  they 
furnish  us  plenty  of  money?" 

"That's  true.     I  have  quit  worrying." 

"And  keep  their  names  out  of  scandals." 

"They  are  cunning  enough  for  that,  if  some  of 
them  are  fools  on  general  principles." 

"I  had  looked  for  some  good  results  from  Lord 
Caledon's  visit.  He  is  so  nice  and  I  had  such  hopes 
that  he  would  win  Edith  from  Colston.  I  have  hardly 
the  patience  to  mention  that  fellow's  name." 

"Lord  Caledon  left  very  suddenly." 

"On  pressing  business,  they  say." 


216  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"Yes,  but  what  more  pressing  business  could  he 
have  than  to  capture  Edith?" 

"He  made  but  one  call  on  Edith,  I  understand?" 

"And  that  a  very  short  one." 

"The  butler  told  Sam  that  Ethel  broke  it  up  be- 
tween Edith  and  him  and  that  they  had  some  high 
words." 

"There  is  some  mystery." 

"D''Mars  was  in  the  house  and  they  say  that  he 
and  Lord  Caledon  almost  came  to  blows." 

"What  could  it  be?  You  know  Lord  Caledon  is 
the  very  pink  of  politeness  and  propriety." 

"They  say  that  Ethel  and  Edith  were  almost  on 
the  verge  of  nervous  prostration  for  a  whole  day  over 
the  affair.     And  Lord   Caledon  left  hastily." 

"Gebby  tried  to  quiz  Lord  Caledon  before  he  left 
and  he  would  hardly  treat  Fred  civily.  He  was  mad 
clear  through   about   something." 

"Not  much  hope  for  a  woman  who  would  turn 
down  such  a  catch  as  Lord  Caledon  for  Horace  Col- 
ston. Wh}^,  there  is  not  a  girl  in  the  highest  social 
circles  that  would  not  jump  at  him  if  she  had  half  a 
chance." 

While  the  society  match-makers  and  censors  were 
scheming  to  capture  Ethel  and  cure  Edith's  strange 
fancy  for  Horace  Colston  a  highly  interesting  tableau 
was  in  progress  at  the  Rockwell  mansion. 

Horace  Colston,  as  the  reader  may  be  aware,  was 
madly  in  love  with  Edith.  He  regarded  her  as  an 
angel,  far  removed  from  his  sphere.  It  is  true,  he  had 
met  her  frequently  and  found  her  agreeable,  and  sym- 
pathetic, but  what  of  that  ?  Her  circle  of  acquaintances 
was  wide.  Among  her  warm  friends  and  admirers 
'  were  a  number  of  bright  and  most  excellent  young 
gentlemen.  Some  were  very  wealthy,  way  up  in  busi- 
ness attainments.     He  knew  very  well  that  such  quali- 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  217 

ficatlons  went  far  with  Mr.  Rockwell,  wTio,  notwith- 
standing his  conversion,  was  inclined  to  estimate  men 
on  the  basis  of  their  financial  achievements. 

"What  am  I,"  he  would  say  to  himself — "  a  mere 
writer,  a  juggler  of  language.  There  are  scores  of 
writers  on  the  newspapers  and  magazines  who  sur- 
pass me.  Through  the  kind  aid  of  D'Mars  and  Ethel, 
bless  her,  I  am  publishing  a  great  newspaper,  but  I 
don't  own  a  dollar  of  it.  I  made  a  happy  hit  that  night 
at  the  Metaphor  lecture.  That  won  the  sympathy  of 
these  ladies.  Had  I  not  been  there  that  night,  I  might 
yet  be  down  in  Barclay  street  in  that  old  garret,  wrest- 
ling with  a  pay  roll  and  nothing  to  meet  it." 

Horace  had  an  inkling  of  the  Lord  Caledon  epi- 
sode. That  gave  him  courage,  but  it  might  mean 
nothing  for  him.  He  had  plenty  of  opportunity  to 
speak  to  Edith  and  declare  the  passion  that  was  con- 
suming him.  But  he  never  saw  what  he  regarded  as 
the  opportune  moment.  While  she  treated  him  court- 
eously and  considerately,  he  fancied  that  she  wore  an 
air  of  reserve  toward  him.  She  was  not  as  free  and 
chatty  with  him  as  she  was  with  other  gentlemen,  he 
imagined.  He  suspected  that  she  desired  to  save  him 
the  humiliation  of  a  refusal  and  this  maddened  him, 
for  he  was  unable  to  figure  out  any  scheme  of  happi- 
ness, in  which  she  was  not  the  central  figure. 

Sometimes  he  thought  he  would  write  her  a  dec- 
laration of  his  love  and  lay  the  whole  matter  before  her. 
He  had  prepared  such  a  letter  but  after  analysing  it 
he  tore  it  up.  He  could  not  write  what  he  wanted  to 
say.  Besides,  what  excuse  could  he  offer  for  writing 
on  so  important  a  matter  to  one  whom  he  could  see  and 
converse  with  any  day  ? 

"No,"  he  said,  "that  would  look  like  coward- 
ice," and  whatever  other  failings  he  had  cowardice 
was  not  one  of  them.     If  a  woman  is  willing  to  enter- 


218  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

tain  a  proposal  she  wants  it  made  in  person.  He  knew 
that  much  about  love  anyway. 

Edith,  on  the  contrary,  with  woman's  intuition, 
read  Horace  like  an  open  book.  So  did  Ethel.  They 
often  laug^hed  over  his  faltering  gait  in  matters  of 
the  heart.  But  Edith  gave  him  no  special  aid.  She 
knew  that  his  prowess  would  ultimately  be  equal  to 
the  contest.  She  had  her  father's  consent  to  Hor- 
ace's attentions.  Even  that  she  were  coquetishly  in- 
clined she  would  not  trifle  with  the  affections  of  such 
a  man  as  Mr.  Colston,  whom  she  knew  to  be  a  man 
of  the  very  highest  sense  of  honor.  She  knew  she 
had  him  and  she  could  afiford  to  see  him  struggle  with 
the  hook. 

In  his  perplexity  Horace  consulted  D'Mars.  He 
only  laughed  and  told  him  that  he  would  better  go  and 
talk  to  Edith  herself  about  It. 

"You  take  this  matter  entirely  too  seriously.  You 
must  forget  yourself  and  consider  her  the  whole  thing. 
It  is  no  use  to  study  up  a  set  speech  to  make  to  her, 
for  you  will  not  use  a  word  of  it.  You  will  forget  it. 
Make  it  short  and  to  the  point.  N5ne  proposals  out  of 
ten  are  made  in  a  blundering  way.  There  is  not 
much  to  be  said  anyway.  You  will  find  more  import- 
ant and  delightful  affairs  to  attend  to  than  talking," 
remarked  D'Mars. 

Thus  encouraged,  Horace  put  himself  in  special 
trim  that  evening  when  he  called  on  Edith.  She  saw 
at  a  glance  something  was  going  to  happen,  for  when 
a  man  intends  to  accomplish  something  brilliant  in 
the  realms  of  love  he  never  fails  to  give  himself  away 
beforehand. 

Whether  he  should  learn  his  fate  early  in  the  even- 
ing or  await  the  parting  was  carefully  considered  by 
Horace.  He  had  heard  it  said  that  the  parting  mo- 
ment Is  the  best,  especially  If  there  be  doubt  of  the 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  219 

outcome.  A  man  can  then  get  away  quickly  and  kick 
himself  for  his  folly. 

"I  shall  not  play  coward,"  said  Horace.  "I  am 
about  to  pay  Edith  the  highest  compliment  a  man  can 
pay  to  a  woman.  I  shall  act  promptly  the  first  oppor- 
tune moment.  I  have  the  reputation  of  being  some- 
what of  a  crank  and  Edith  will  not  be  surprised." 

After  the  usual  commonplace  remarks  and  chat, 
Horace  noticed  that  Edith  was  in  somewhat  of  an 
abstracted  mood.     Now  is  the  time,  thought  Horace. 

"Edith,"  he  began,  for  he  had  been  accustomed 
to  that  familiar  form  of  address,  "I  desire  to  tell  you 
a  little  fairy  story." 

"I  like  fairy  stories  if  they  are  not  too  long,"  re- 
plied Edith,  with  a  smile. 

Horace  thought  of  D'Mars'  injunction  "make  it 
short  and  to  the  point,"  and  he  concluded  to  observe 
it. 

"Once  on  a  time,"  he  began,  "  a  young  man  was 
sojourning  in  a  strange  and  inhospitable  land.  He 
found  many  evils  that  he  sought  to  remedy.  But  the 
inhabitants  did  not  understand  him.  They  condemned 
him  as  a  crank.  In  some  respects  they  were  right,  for 
he  had  too  much  conceit,  and  made  too  little  allow- 
ance for  those  who  differed  wuth  him  . 

"One  night  in  a  dream  he  found  a  beautiful  angel. 
The  angel  was  a  woman.  She  was  perfect  in  all  that 
goes  to  make  angels.  Her  beauty  was  fascinating. 
Her  merest  word  was  his  law.  She  changed  the  whole 
tenor  of  his  life.  She  absorbed  him  so  completely  that 
he  could  think  of  nothing  but  her.  She  became  the 
queen  of  his  heart.  Yea,  he  finally  realized  that  he 
could  not  live  without  her  sweet  smile  and  encourage- 
ment. He  realized  that  he  was  madly  in  love  with 
her.  He  even  aspired  to  her  hand  and  heart.  But 
he  was  timid.     He  feared  the  awakening  should  she 


220  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

reject  his  love.  The  uncertainty  of  the  situation .  was 
consuming  him.  Now,  don't  you  think  he  was  en- 
titled to  sympathy?" 

"Perhaps  he  was.  But  I  do  not  think  he  had 
much  courage,"  replied  Edith, 

"Suppose  she  had  rejected  him?"  said  Horace 
in  a  voice  that  betrayed  him. 

"He  would  then  have  certainty.  Anything  is  bet- 
ter than  suspense,"  replied  Edith. 

"You  speak  wisely,"  responded  Horace,  and  fix- 
ing her  in  a  gaze  that  could  not  be  mistaken  he  con- 
tinued : 

"I  am  the  young  man  and  you  are  the  angel.  I 
love  you.  You  only.  I  owe  to  you  all  I  enjoy  in  life. 
All  my  hopes  of  happiness  are  centered  in  you.  I  be- 
lieve that  my  eternal  future  is  in  your  keeping.  With 
one  word  you  can  lift  me  to  the  seventh  heaven,  with- 
hold it  and  I  go  to  perdition.  I  desire  to  make  you 
my  wife,  my  partner  for  all  eternity.  Do  you  love  me? 
Will  you  be  my  wife?" 

Edith  was  silent,  although  she  anticipated  it.  She 
was  speechless  when  the  critical  moment  came.  But 
Horace  read  his  answer  in  the  downcast  eyes. 

He  embraced  her  passionately  as  he  said,  "Speak 
only  the  word  that  will  seal  my  happiness  for  all  time." 

"Yes  Horace,  I  love  you,"  she  said  and  the  com- 
pact was  quickly  sealed  by  kisses. 

Eurther  words  were  unnecessar)^  Eor  several 
moments  heart  spoke  to  heart  in  language  that  cannot 
be  uttered.  It  was  over  and  Horace  went  home  the 
happiest  man  on  earth. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  221 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
The   Coal   Famine. 

During  these  sensational  social  events,  the  question 
was  frequently  and  persistently  asked  by  the  great 
metropolitan  journals  what  are  these  billionaire  re- 
formers doing  for  the  workingman  with  whom  they 
profess  so  much  sympathy?  Of  course  this  was  the 
old  stereotyped  play  of  the  politician  to  the  labor  gal- 
leries. 

Horace  Colston  was  rated  as  a  Socialist.  He  had 
advocated  government  ownership  and  control  of  the 
tools  of  production  as  well  as  the  natural  means  of 
existence.  But  he  had  always  stood  for  Christian 
socialism  under  which  sound  morality  should  be  the 
basis  of  all  progress.  Here  a  chasm  opened  between 
■him  and  the  materialistic  socialists  who  w^ould  elimi- 
nate the  gospel  of  Jesus  from  their  campaign.  Thus 
Horace  found  himself  between  two  extremes,  the  cold, 
sordid,  materialistic  capitalist  on  one  side  and  material- 
istic socialist  on  the  other.  He  considered  them  both 
on  false  grounds,  endeavoring  to  correct  error  with 
error,  unable  to  see  that  in  the  end  error  must  ever  be 
its  owTi  destroyer. 

At  this  time  events  were  transpiring  in  the  indus- 
trial world  that  were  forcing  a  crisis.  The  countr\' 
was  under  the  rule  of  President  Blufford.  a  man  who 
often  did  things  that  surprised  the  trusts  but  never 
hurt  them.  A  strike  was  on  in  the  anthracite  coal 
mines  which  forced  at  least  20,000,000  people  to  freeze 
01  pay  an  extortionate  price  for  a  slender  supply  of 
coal.  President  Gall,  of  the  coal  trust,  assumed  the 
lofty  position,  that  the  coal  barons  were  the  chosen 
trustees  of  the  Almighty,  authorized  to  do  as  they 


222  D'MABS  AFEINITY. 

pleased  with  the  coal  supply  stored  up  in  the  earth  for 
the  use  of  future  generations.  He  had  shut  down  the 
mines  in  order  to  starve  the  miners,  who  had  gone  out 
on  strike,  into  submission  to  his  terms. 

When  the  machinery  of  government  had  declared 
itself  unable,  under  the  law,  to  protect  the  people  in 
their  natural  and  civil  rights.  President  Bluf- 
ford  appointed  a  commission  to  adjust  the  dif- 
ficulty. After  taking  evidence  five  months,  the 
commission  decided  that  the  miners'  wages  should 
be  increased  ten  cents  for  each  ton  of  coal  mined.  The 
operators  then  advanced  the  price  of  coal  fifty  cents  per 
ton  to  the  consumers.  President  Blufford's  partisans 
claimed  that  this  was  one  of  the  greatest  economic 
achievements  of  the  age  and  that  it  ought  to  insure 
Blufford's  renomination  and  election.  The  people  as 
usual,  said  nothing,  though  they  wondered  why  an  in- 
crease of  ten  cents  per  ton  on  the  first  cost  should 
require  an  advance  of  fifty  cents  on  the  selling  price. 

Emboldened  by  this  success  in  relieving  the  con- 
sumiers.  President  Blufford  now  appointed  a  commis- 
sion of  economic  inquiry  to  investigate  the  entire  indus- 
trial and  economic  system  and  if  anything  were  found 
wrong  to  suggest  remedies.  This  commission  met  in 
New  York  and  called  upon  all  who  could  furnish  infor- 
mation or  suggest  ideas,  to  appear  before  it. 

Prominent  trust  promoters,  bankers,  business  men 
and  lawyers,  appeared  daily.  Ancient  lore  on  political 
economy  and  ethics  was  presented  and  discussed.  Or- 
ganized labor  demanded  higher  wages  and  as  proof 
of  the  righteousness  of  their  demands,  they  pointed 
to  the  enormous  wealth  piled  up  by  men  who  by  labor 
produced  nothing.  The  captains  of  industry  on  the 
other  hand,  met  this  with  the  claim  that  were  it  not 
for  their  capital,  wage  workers  would  be  out  of  work 
and  still  worse  off. 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  223 

After  several  weeks  of  this  sort  of  profitless  jug- 
gling and  beating  around  the  bush  the  comjniission  in- 
vited D'Mars  and  Colston  to  present  their  views. 

"I  have  very  decided  and  wihat  you  would  con- 
sider radical  views,"  replied  Mr.  Colston. 

"We  will  hear  you,"  replied  the  chairman. 

"Under  the  present  competitive  system  of  injustice 
to  the  toiler  and  to  the  business  man,  I  think  that  each 
is  doing  the  very  best  he  considers  himself  able  to  do. 
I  can  see  no  remedy  while  this  brutal  competitive 
system,  which  permits  the  strong  to  crush  the  weak  is 
maintained.  I  can  see  nothing  but  a  continuation  of 
this  fight  in  the  dark  until  the  masses  of  our  people  seek 
better  light.  It  is  idle  folly  to  talk  about  freedom,  lib- 
erty, happiness  and  contentment  in  any  land,  where 
equal  opportunity  for  all  is  denied  by  law — where  ac- 
cess to  the  means  of  existence  is  not  free  and  equal  and 
equal  because  free. 

"The  man  who  owns  and  controls  the  means  from 
which  I  must  live  and  who  has  the  power  to  tax  me 
for  natural  opportunity  to  toil,  owns  me.  He  is  my 
master,  to  all  intents  and  purposes  as  fully  as  though 
he  owned  me. 

"It  is  true  that  I  have  the  privilege  of  choice  be- 
tween masters  and  I  have  the  remote  hope  that  some 
day  I  may  become  a  master  over  somebody.  But  that 
does  not  alter  the  fact  that  the  great  masses  must  ever 
divide  the  fruits  of  their  toil  with  a  master.  It  may 
be  said  that  there  are  good  masters — that  the  majority 
are  good.  But  I  believe  with  Abraham  Lincoln  that 
'God  never  made  any  man  good  enougTi  to  own  an- 
other.' " 

"What  do  you  mean  by  'natural  opportunity'  "? 
inquired  Mr.  Grabb. 

"Natural  opportunity  is  the  earth,  land,  water, 
light,  heat  and  air,  as  they  came  from  the  hands  of 


224  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

the  Creator.  He  gave  the  earth  to  the  people  free — 
without  price  and  in  perpetuity.  Every  person  born 
comes  into  the  world  with  his  indefeasable  and  in- 
alienable title  deed  in  his  hand,  to  a  place  on  the  earth, 
a  sufficiency  of  it  to  enable  him  to  work  and  produce 
a  living  in  the  sweat  of  his  face.  This  right  is  in- 
alienable, our  bill  of  rights  so  declares  it. 

"This  right  to  his  foothold  on  the  earth,  being  in- 
alienable, no  ancestor  has  the  right  to  deprive  the  new- 
comer of  it,  by  deed  or  will.  It  is  the  duty  of  society 
and  government  to  see  to  it,  that  everyone  is  protected 
in  this  right.  When  we  see  a  person  who  has  no  land, 
not  even  a  spot  on  which  to  lay  his  head  or  erect  a 
cabin,  without  paying  a  nonuser  for  the  use  of  it,  we 
behold  proof  of  the  giant  injustice  of  the  age. 

"All  advance  in  land  values  (I  am  not  now  speak- 
ing of  improvements)  and  in  the  value  of  franchises  is 
the  result  and  the  product  of  social  growth  and  should 
be  taken  by  the  people  and  used  for  public  purposes. 
Were  such  a  system  established  no  one  would  be 
searching  for  work,  hunting  for  a  master,  seeking 
someone  with  whom  he  must  divide  the  fruits  of  his 
labor  for  permission  to  toil." 

Count  Beaverpelt,  who  owned  land  of  the  value  of 
$200,000,000  in  New  York  City  and  which  gives  him  a 
net  annual  income  of  $8,000,000,  now  arose  to  his  feet. 
This  man  wore  a  badge  of  nobility  on  his  breast  over 
his  heart.  He  had  abandoned  his  native  country  many 
years  ago  to  bask  in  the  smiles  of  kings  and  princes. 
He  even  attempted  to  assume  a  foreign  air  and  manner, 
as  he  said : 

"I  am  amazed  that  this  commission  permits  the 
presentation  of  such  anarchical  propositions.  The  thing 
needed  most  in  this  country  is  a  strong  government 
that  will  compel  the  common  people — the  working 
classes,  if  you  please — ^to  respect  their  superiors.    Due 


I)' MA LS  AFFINITY.  225 

respect  for  the  hig-her  classes,  the  much"  maligned  capi- 
talists, if  you  please,  who  furnish  the  common  labor- 
ing horde  the  real  means  of  existence,  would  lead  these 
lower  classes  to  respect  law  and  order  and  vested 
rights— the  sacred  rights  of  property.  Disrespect  for 
superiors  begets  disrespect  for  law  and  disregard  for 
law  engenders  the  seeds  of  socialism,  the  bloom  of 
riot  and  robbery  and  the  ripe  fruit  of  anarchy.  Re- 
spect of  inferiors  for  superiors,  reverence  for  the 
vested  rights  of  property,  constitute  the  true  basis  of 
permanent  government.     Don't  yeou  kneow." 

"There  is  nothing  to  be  gained  by  discussion  of 
vague  and  idealistic  evils  and  remedies.  What  we  seek 
is  something  practical.  No  remedy  that  would  over- 
turn the  existing  order  can  be  considered  by  this  com- 
mission," remarked  the  chairman. 

"I  am  not  an  idealist,  a  socialist,  or  an  anarchist. 
I  merely  desire  to  say  to  this  commission  that  the 
problem  under  consideration  will  never  be  settled  on 
the  wage  and  competitive  basis.  If  this  commission 
declines  to  consider  fundamental  remedies,  I  do  not 
care  to  say  more,"  replied  Mr.  Colston. 

"I  desire  to  corroborate  Mr.  Colston's  statement 
that  he  is  not  a  socialist.  He  confines  his  equal  op- 
portunity remedy  to  land  and  religion  which  he  terms 
morality.  We  believe  that  labor  should  obtain  posses- 
sion and  control  of,  not  only  land,  but  all  the  means  of 
production  and  distribution,  including  all  the  tools  of 
trade.  Then  all  must  work  or  starve,  if  they  are  able 
to  work  and  refuse.  As  to  Colston's  fine-spun  notions 
of  God  and  religion  and  so-called  morality,  we  must 
leave  it  out.  It  is  all  mere  moonshine.  We  shall  never 
have  real  freedom  until  it  is  abolished,"  remarked 
a  smooth  spoken  gentleman  in  the  audience. 

"You   would   have  everything  owned,   controlled 


226  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

and  manag-ed  by  government  ?"  remarked  a  member  of 
the  commission. 

"Precisely.  We  now  have  two  classes.  We 
would  then  have  one  class — the  workers." 

"Have  you  any  remedies  to  offer,  Mr.  D'Mars," 
inquired  the  chairman. 

"For  what?"  queried  D'Mars. 

"To  settle  the  contest  between  labor  and  capital," 
replied  the  chairman, 

"I  would  suggest  that  both  of  these  terms  be 
abolished  and  in  their  stead  we  have  man.  The  real 
man.  The  man  who  owns  himself  and  his  vote  and 
his  labor  and  his  capital.  The  man  who  knows  that  in 
order  to  be  a  real  free  man  all  others  must  be  as  free 
as  he.  When  we  get  the  real  man  and  plenty  of  him 
this  incident  of  serfdom  will  pass  away.  The  world 
will  then  be  at  peace.  There  will  be  harmony,  for 
real  men  who  recognize  each  other's  rights  and  claim 
nothing  for  themselves  that  they  are  not  willing  to  con- 
cede to  all  others.  There  will  then  be  nothing  over 
which  we  may  quarrel  and  slay  one  another." 

"How  do  you  propose  ushering  in  the  man?"  in- 
quired the  chairman. 

"He  must  usher  himself  in.  I  may  aid  and  en- 
courage him,  but  I  can't  make  him.  It  is  given  to 
each  to  do  that  for  himself.  He  must  seek  the  Light; 
hear  the  Word ;  follow  where  truth  leads.  He  must 
substitute  confidence  for  fear  and  love  for  hatred. 
When  he  accomplishes  this,  the  prophecy  of  the 
Master  to  his  followers  will  be  fulfilled.  The  Master 
said  you  shall  remove  mountains,  heal  the  sick  and 
handle  serpents  without  danger.  The  removal  of 
mountains  is  now  done  by  railway  companies,  the  sick 
are  turned  over  to  quacks,  and  serpents  are  handled 
only  by  jugglers,"  replied  D'Mars. 

"Could  you  suggest  anything  that  the  government 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  2^1 

could  do  to  usher  in  the  real  man  ?"  inquired  a  member. 

"I  could  not.  Considering  all  its  environments 
the  government  is  perhaps  doing  as  well  as  it  is  able. 
So  is  capital.  So  is  labor.  I  believe  in  man.  I  be- 
lieve in  the  world  of  nature.  Through  the  good  that  I 
see  in  all  His  works  I  believe  in  God.  Did  I  beUeve 
as  some  profess  to  believe  that  man  is  prone  to  evil  and 
that  this  world  was  intended  to  be  a  world  of  suffering, 
I  could  not  believe  in  a  just  and  all-wise  God. 

"I  believe  that  there  is  much  good  in  all  men  and 
women.  Yea,  in  the  worst,  for  who  dares  to  judge,  I 
believe  that  by  sending  forth  messages  of  love  instead 
of  hate,  confidence  instead  of  fear,  we  can  disarm  our 
enemies,  and  we  can  add  to  our  own  good  and  happi- 
ness." 

"Your  suggestions,  Mr.  D'Mars,  all  seem  good 
on  idealistic  lines,  but  we  are  dealing  with  a  real  or,  as 
you  would  term  it,  a  materialistic  situation.  What 
would  be  your  final  remedy  for  the  competitive  wage 
system?"  inquired  the  chairman. 

"I  have  given  you  my  first  remedy,  the  first  step. 
After  something  were  accomplished  on  lines  of  real 
manhood,  in  the  abolition  of  the  'I,'  the  'self/  the 
parent  and  child  of  misery,  fear  and  greed ;  I  would 
suggest  co-operation,  productive  and  distributive  as  a 
substitute  for  the  barbarous  and  wasteful  competitive 
system.  Each  would  then  receive  reward  in  propor- 
tion to  his  contribution  of  work  and  not  in  proportion 
to  his  cunning  and  ability  to  overreach  his  neighbor. 
Moral  worth,  merit,  and  talent  would  receive  reward 
on  a  basis  of  actual  service  to  humanity,  not  on  a  basis 
of  monopoly.  As  the  real  man  is  developed  the  ways 
and  means  of  maintaining  the  man  will  materialize." 

"What  would  you  suggest  for  the  rich  to  do  at 
this  time?"  inquired  Count  Beaverpelt. 

"I  can  think  of  nothing  better  than  the  advice  of 


228  p'MABS  AFFINITY. 

the  Master  to  the  rich  young  man.  In  addition  to 
that  I  would  suggest  that  they  endeavor  to  usher  in 
the  real  man  and  to  begin  with  themselves." 

"And  what  would  you  suggest  to  labor?"  inquired 
the  chairman. 

"Instead  of  struggling  to  maintain  the  slavish 
competitive  wage  system  which  is  now  tottering  to  its 
tomb,  I  would  advise  wageworkers  to  co-operate.  In 
stead  of  fighting  and  abusing  capitalists,  I  would  ad- 
vise workingmen  and  women  to  become  their  own. 
capitalists,  employ  themselves  on  the  co-operative 
plan." 

"That  sort  of  nonsense  makes  me  weary,"  remark- 
ed a  walking  delegate. 

"I  presume  so.  Your  job  would  be  abolished,  but 
your  loss  would  be  labor's  gain,"  responded  D'Mars. 

"You  would  not  favor  government  ownership  of 
public  utilities?"  chimed  in  a  gentleman. 

"Not  until  the  people  controlled  the  government. 
Under  the  wage  system,  government  ownership  of 
public  utilities  would  be  more  tyrannical  and  subver- 
sive of  public  rights  than  it  now  is." 

"Not  if  the  people  controlled  the  government?" 
remarked  the  smooth  spoken  gentleman. 

"If,"  replied  D'Mars.  "What  on  earth  hinders 
these  people  controlling  the  government  now,  except 
the  greed  and  selfishness  of  self?  Don't  deceive  your- 
selves, gentlemen.  As  long  as  lOO  or  500  men  can't 
co-operate  and  operate  a  mill  or  a  factory  under  their 
own  management,  but  must  sell  their  labor  to  a  capital- 
ist^we  shall  have  capitalists  and  wage  serfs.  When 
labor  insists  on  making  the  capitalist  and  then  talks  of 
abolishing  him.  it  does  an  illogical  thing  and  talks 
nonsense,"  replied  D'Mars. 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  229 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
A  StartivIng  Innovation. 

The  following  day  D'Mars,  Rockwell,  Vanstine 
and  Colston  held  a  conference  to  devise  a  plan  of  oper- 
ation. They  had  grown  weary  of  the  repeated  inquir- 
ies of  the  metropolitan  press  as  to  how  they  intended 
to  reform  the  world.  Even  the  cartoonists  and  funny 
squib  writers  were  indulging  wit  and  humor  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  D.  R.  &  V.  syndicate. 

Ethel  and  Edith  were  called  into  the  conference. 
"We  shall  now  have  inspiration,"  remarked  Mr.  Rock- 
well. 

Various  plans  of  helping  the  poor  to  help  them- 
selves were  discussed.  All  plans  of  distributing  monev 
among  the  poor  beyond  relieving  immediate  distress, 
such  as  food,  shelter  and  clothing,  were  abandoned. 

"I  see  little  hope  for  the  toilers  under  the  compe- 
titive system,"  remarked  Mr.  Colston. 

"Or  the  employers  either,"  chimed  in  Mr.  Rock- 
w-ell.     "It  is  hard  to  say  which  is  the  worst  off." 

"You  see  the  average  wageworker  will  not  look- 
beyond  the  next  pay  day,"  remarked  Mr.  Colston. 

"And  the  average  employer  don't  see  very  far 
beyond  the  next  pay  day  himself,"  remarked  Mr.  Rock- 
well. 

"Fear  and  worry  are  the  evils  that  dwarf  man- 
kind. Right  here  is  the  prevailing  cause  of  the  so- 
called  race  suicide  and  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  intem- 
perance and  crime,"  remarked  D'Mars. 

"And  the  root  of  greed  and  money  worship,"  said 
Mr.  Vantsine. 

"And  that  brings  us  back  to  where  we  started,*'' 


230  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

remarked  Mr.  Rockwell.  "How  shall  we  remove  fear 
and  worry?" 

"By  removing  the  cause,  by  abolishing  monopoly 
of  the  means  of  existence,"  remarked  Mr.  Colston  who 
still  inclined  to  look  to  the  government  and  law  for  re- 
lief. 

"What  is  the  cause?"  inquired  Ethel. 

No  one  answered  and  Ethel  continued : 

"The  world  is  making  its  first  faltering  and  blund- 
ering steps  toward  a  more  elevated  plane  of  civilization 
and  morality.  The  bonds  of  intellectual  as  well  as  phy- 
sical slavery  are  parting.  Mind  has  achieved  wonders 
over  matter  in  recent  years  and  we  are  only  at  the 
threshold  of  knowledge.  Our  mission,  and  we  have 
one,  is  to  rise  above  such  material  stumbling  blocks  as 
these  transient  and  perishable  things  of  time.  We 
should  try  to  reach  the  real  existing  being,  the  spark  of 
real  light  and  life  and  release  it  from  its  darkened  sur- 
roundings. When  people  think  right  they  do  right. 
We  should  help  man  to  think  right.  Eet  man  repose 
confidence  in  his  brother  man  and  love  him  as  the 
Master  commanded  and  nearly  all  the  evils  of  which 
we  complain  will  disappear." 

"But  how  are  we  to  reach  the  masses?  When 
reached,  how  are  we  to  impress  them?  If  we  don't 
indorse  every  cranky  fad  and  'ism  and  help  along 
every  superficial  reform  scheme,  the  promoters  will 
denounce  us  and  say  that  we  are  insincere.  And  thev 
leave  their  influence  on  the  people,"  remarked  Mr. 
Rockwell. 

"We  must  reach  the  people  through  the  press  and 
the  rostrum,"  replied  Ethel. 

"If  you  knew  the  press  as  I  know  It  you  would  not 
depend  on  it,"  remarked  Mr  .Colston  in  a  tone  of  bit- 
terness. 

"Why,  Mr.  Colston,  you  seem  to  be  prejudiced. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  231 

I  have  always  found  editors  and  reporters  very  nice 
people.  I  have  talked  with  some  of  them  on  these 
very  lines  and  they  sighed  regretfully  as  they  admitted 
the  truth,"  replied  Ethel. 

"You  have  not  come  in  contact  with  the  business 
end  of  the  press.  Why  the  editor  is  the  merest  auto- 
maton. Do  you  know  who  controls  the  great  metro- 
poHtan  press?"  queried  Mr.  Colston. 

"The  editors,  I  suppose,"  replied  Ethel  in  sur- 
prise. 

"Not  at  all.  The  advertisers.  And  they  have 
a  right  to  control  it,  for  they  pay  the  bills." 

"I  thought  the  readers  pay  for  the  newspapers," 
remarked  Edith. 

"The  readers  do  not  pay  half  the  cost  of  their 
newspaper.  That  is  they  do  not  pay  it  directly.  Of 
course  they  pay  it  all  in  the  end,  but  they  are  not  aware 
of  it.  The  advertiser  pays  the  greater  part  of  the  coit 
of  the  newspaper  and  then  he  recoups  his  outlay  off  the 
readers  when  they  purchase  his  goods  and  wares." 

"I  see,"  remarked  Ethel. 

"The  advertiser  is  a  victim  of  the  competitive 
system.  He  is  helpless.  He  realizes  the  evil,  but  he 
dares  not  oppose  it.  The  people,  the  primar\'  produc- 
ers and  the  final  consumers  are  the  chief  victims — and 
they  should  be,  for  they  alone  have  the  opportunity 
and  the  power  to  abolish  the  waste  by  engaging  in  co- 
operation. The  newspaper  itself  is  a  victim  of  the 
wasteful  competitive  wage  system  and  it  is  powerless. 
The  readers  only,  have  the  power  to  apply  the  rem- 
edy," continued  Mr.  Colston. 

"An  inspiration  comes  to  me !"  exclaimed  Ethel. 

"To  me  roo,"  said  Edith  laughingly. 

"I  know  what  it  is,"  calmlv  remarked  D'Mars. 

"What  is  it?"  inquired  Ethel. 


232  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"A  co-operative  press,  owned  and  controlled  by 
the  people,"  replied  D'Mars. 

"Do  you  know  that  the  same  idea  occurred  to 
me,"  remarked  Mr,  Rockwell. 

"Me  too.  The  paraclete  must  be  upon  us,"  re- 
marked Mr.  Vanstine. 

"It  is  an  inspiration  all  right  enough.  As  Horace 
spoke  a  strange  sensation  came  ovet-  me.  My  eyes 
closed  and  a  blazing  inscription  appeared.     It  read: 

"  'A  people's  co-operative  press.  Ten  million  sub- 
scribers.   Mental  and  industrial  emancipation.'  " 

"That  settles  it,"  remarked  D'Mars,  with  a  glance 
at  his  companions. 

"Ten  millions  circulation !"  exclaimed  Horace., 
who  still  had  the  newspaper  instinct.  "Won't  that  be 
a  picnic  for  the  advertising  solicitor?" 

"How  can  we  put  so  unwieldy  a  concern  on  a. 
business  basis?"  inquired  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"Easily,"  replied  the  famous  trust  organizer,  Mr. 
Rockwell. 

"It  will  cost  us  $500,000,000  to  establish  such  an 
enterprise,"  suggested  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"It  will  require  some  money  to  launch  such  an 
enterprise,  but  it  will  pay  its  way.  Yes.  It  will  be  a 
big  money-maker.  What  say  you,  Horace  ?"  said  Mr. 
Rockwell. 

Horace  who  had  been  busy  with  his  pencil  re- 
plied : 

"On  such  a  circulation  we  can  easil}^  maintain 
enough  advertising  at  a  very  low  rate  to  earn  over 
$100,000,000  annually.  I  can  safely  say  that  with  the 
saving  of  waste  that  the  co-operative  feature  would  af- 
ford, it  will  be  a  great  money  maker,"  replied  Hor- 
ace. 

"Don't  you  think  10,000,000  subscribers  could  be 
induced  to  invest  $5  each  in  stock?     That  would  raise 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  233 

$50,000,000,  quite  a  sufficient  sum  to  put  the  enterprise 
squarely  on  its  feet,"  enquired  Mr.  Rockwell. 

"No,  sir.  I  have  had  some  experience  in  the 
matter  of  inducing-  workingmen  to  invest  in  ccnopera- 
tion.  I  tell  you  that  nothing  will  take  with  the  masses 
unless  there  is  a  speculation — a  sort  of  a  gamble  in  it. 
That  explains  the  case  with  which  the  promoters  and 
bunco  steerers  fleece  the  country  daily.  You  must 
have  some  sort  of  a  speculation  in  it  if  you  expect  to 
awake  popular  interest,"   replied  Horace. 

"We  evidently  need  the  genius  of  a  Col.  Sellars," 
remarked  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"Could  not  you  suggest  something  yourself,  Col- 
ston?" queried  D'Mars. 

"Possibly.  Suppose  we  issue  50,000,000  shares  of 
stock  of  the  par  value  of  one  dollar  each.  Issue  one 
share  to  each  subscriber  with  a  guarantee  that  it  is  non- 
assessible  and  a  provision  that  it  is  not  to  be  paid  for 
until  the  end  of  the  first  full  running  year,  and  it  is  not 
to  be  paid  for  then  unless  it  earns  one  hundred  per  cent 
dividend  per  share.  My  experience  satisfies  me  that 
you  could  place  1,000,000,000  shares  of  stock  on  such 
terms,  in  about  five  minutes,  providing  you  could 
reach  the  people  in  that  time." 

"I  believe  you  have  solved  the  problem.  There 
is  nothing  like  experience,"  said  D'Mars. 

"You  are  right,"  said  Rockwell,  "We  shall  place 
the  capital  stock  at  50,000,000  shares  and  issue 
10,000,000  on  the  terms  suggested." 

"What  name  shall  we  give  the  people's  paper," 
inquired  Ethel. 

"Truth's  Torch,"  replied  D'Mars.  "Mr.  Colston's 
paper  furnishes  us  the  nucleus  and  I  know  of  no  better 
name," 

"If  we  publish  the  paper  in  New  York,  will  noc 


234  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

the   news   department   be   rather  antiquated   when   it 
reaches  the  far  West  and  the  South?"  queried  Edith. 

''You  don't  fully  comprehend  the  magnitude  and 
scope  of  this  enterprise  my  child,"  remarked  Mr. 
Rockwell.  "This  newspaper  will  be  published  simul- 
taneously, in  at  least  fifty  of  the  leading  cities  of  the 
country.  'Truth's  Torch'  will  furnish  the  very  latest 
news  every  where.  By  this  means  we  shall  be  able  to 
take  advantage  of  the  local  advertising." 

"But  have  you  thought  of  the  number  of  news- 
papers we  will  put  out  of  business  in  these  cities  and 
the  suffering  that  will  result?"  remarked  Ethel  in  deep 
concern  and  sympathy. 

"I  have  considered  that.  We  shall  first  offer 
them  a  fair  price  for  their  property.  We  shall  give 
them  all  an  opportunity  to  sell.  If  they  refuse — of 
course  they  must  take  the  consequences.  That's  the 
way  we  always  did  business.  Honesty  pays.  The 
success  of  my  business  proves  that,"  said  Mr.  Rock- 
well. 

Business  plans  were  quickly  matured.  It  was  de- 
cided that  Truth's  Torch  should  be  a  forty-eight  page, 
seven  column,  two-cent  sheet.  It  would  be  highly  il- 
lustrated ;  artistic  in  make-up ;  print  all  the  news ;  an 
elaborate  society  and  home  department ;  and  choice 
miscellany. 

The  plants  required  one  hundred  modern  printing 
presses  of  a  capicity  of  100,000  forty-eight  page  papers 
hourly  as  printing  machines  seldom  run  over  two 
hours  daily.  Five  hundred  of  the  best  typesetting  ma- 
chines were  required  and  the  product  of  a  dozen  paper 
mills  was  needed. 

The  syndicate  quietly  sent  out  agents  to  buy  up 
newspapers.  In  cities  where  reasonable  terms  could 
not  be  made,  new  papers  were  installed.  They  already 
owned  most  of  the  stock  of  the  print  paper  trust  and 


D'3IARS  AFFINITY.  235 

the  press  and  linotype  trusts.     Terms,  of  course,  were 
easily  made  with  these  concerns. 

A  prospectus  was  prepared  and  a  copy  mailed  to 
every  family  in  the  United  States  and  Canada  and  a 
few  to  our  foreign  possessions  and  also  to  Europe. 

Subscriptions  came  in  cart  loads.  Within  thirty 
days  "Truth's  Torch"  had  7,000,000  subscribers,  and 
they  were  still  coming. 

The  construction  of  machinery  was  going  forward 
rapidly  and  ofhces  were  being  fitted  up  in  the  chief  cit- 
ies. There  was  lively  competition  among  cities  for  the 
plants.  Some  smaller  cities  offered  a  large  bonus,  but 
no  heed  was  given  to  such  propositions.  Notice  was 
sent  out  that  no  bonus  from  cities  would  be  accepted. 
The  following  cities  were  selected  for  the  first  co-oper- 
ative plants : 

Boston,  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Pittsburg,  Cleve- 
land, Toledo,  Cincinnati,  Detroit,  Chicago,  St.  Louis, 
Atlanta,  IMemphis,  New  Orleans,  Houston,  Kansas 
City,  Denver,  San  Francisco,  ^Minneapolis. 

The  advertising  department  was  not  neglected. 
Rates  were  fixed  at  one-tenth  of  one  cent  per  agate 
line  for  each  1,000  circulation.  It  was  believed  that 
owing  to  the  enormous  circulation  and  the  nominal 
rate  for  advertising,  the  full  space  would  be  sold  daily. 
No  private  competitive  newspaper  could  give  such 
rates.  Only  think  of  a  newspaper  having  i.ooo  circu- 
lation running  a  column  of  advertising  for  twenty- 
eight  cents!  Yet  210  columns  of  advertising  at  this 
low  rate  in  10,000,000  circulation  would  make  the 
gross  income  $144,000,000  annually.  Such  is  the  sav- 
ing of  waste  secured  through  the  marvelous  power  of 
co-operation.  Applications  for  advertising  came  in  by 
the  cart  load. 

To  select  smtable  editorial  staflFs  for  the  various 
newspaper   plants    was    no   easy   matter.     While   the 


236  D'MABS  AFFINITY, 

general  editorial  and  miscellany,  scientific  and  philoso- 
phical matter  were  prepared  in  the  main  office  and 
wired  to  the  branch  offices  or  sent  in  the  form  of  mat- 
rices when  available,  yet  local  editors  and  reporters  in 
touch  with  the  general  policy  were  absolutely  necessary 
in  order  to  preserve  harmony  and  advance  the  cause 
of  progress.  There  were  plenty  of  able  writers.  But 
something  more  and  higher  than  art  of  rhetoric  and 
fervor  of  language  and  word  painting  were  necessary. 
Heart  and  soul  inspiration  were  needed.  In  order  to 
secure  these  higher  qualifications  and  elevated  ideals 
a  course  of  training  in  the  University  of  Truth  and  a 
diploma  were  necessary. 

In  order  that  the  education  and  training  of  edi- 
tors and  reporters  might  be  facilitated  a  special  course 
of  instruction  was  given  to  applicants  for  positions. 
Men  and  women  of  all  ages  applied  for  admxission. 
Most  of  the  applicants  had  been  employed  in  the  edi- 
torial departments  of  various  newspapers.  It  was 
amusing  to  see  the  frantic  efforts  of  some  of  the  older 
men  to  learn  to  tell  the  truth.  Some  of  the  pipe- 
dream  writers  were  so  given  up  to  hyperbole  and  ex- 
aggeration that  their  case  was  hopeless.  An  old 
gentleman  who  had  edited  a  popular  newspaper  for 
forty  years  worked  hard  nearly  two  months  and  finally 
gave  it  up.  He  declared  with  a  tear  in  his  eye,  "I 
have  edited  a  political  paper  too  long  to  learn  to  tell 
the  truth  now." 

A  very  bright  lady  found  herself  in  the  class  with 
the  old  gentleman  just  mentioned.  She  said  that  she 
had  been  managing  editor  of  a  society  paper  and  her 
instructions  were  to  puff  everybody  and  the  wealthier 
the  subject  the  more  frequent  and  elaborate  the  puffs. 
But  she  succeeded  in  correcting  the  evil  and  passed 
a  creditable  examination.  The  advertisement  writers 
were  bad  subjects  for  reform,  and  the  best  were  the 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  237 

worst  for  in  their  goodness  consisted  their  badness. 
The  younger  pupils,  not  having  so  much  false  train- 
ing, and  being  open  to  conviction,  made  the  most 
rapid  progress  in  the  University  of  Truth. 

In  just  sixty  days  after  organization,  the  first  issue 
was  pubhshed  according  to  the  schedule  in  forty  of  the 
most  important  cities  the  same  day.  A  copy  of  the  first 
issue  was  sent  to  every  reader  in  the  United  States,  and 
also  mailed  to  every  reader  whose  address  could  be 
secured  in  other  nations.  This  was  considered  the 
greatest  feat  of  journalism  ever  executed  in  any  age 
or  nation.  "Truth's  Torch"  was  largely  reproduced 
in  the  language  of  foreign  lands  in  their  metropolitan 
press  and  the  most  profound  sensation  resulted. 

Within  four  months  branch  plants  were  in  oper- 
ation in  the  fifty  cities  selected  and  the  daily  circulation 
exceeded  10,000,000  copies.  The  thirty  pages  devoted 
to  advertising  were  full  and  enough  rejected  to  fill 
twenty  pages  more.  The  business  managers  pleaded 
for  permission  to  encroach  upon  news  space  but  the 
editorial  end  controlled,  quite  an  innovation  in  jour- 
nalism. 

At  the  close  of  the  people's  year  a  circular  letter 
was  mailed  to  each  subscriber  informing  him  that  the 
People's  Co-operative  Publishing  Company  had  netted 
over  150  per  cent  profit  after  distributing  $47,000,000 
among  the  poor.  That  one  hundred  per  cent  had  been 
paid  and  that  each  subscriber  was  credited  with  orte 
share  stock  paid  up  and  upon  which  the  company  ex- 
pected to  pay  at  least  one  hundred  per  cent  dividend 
hereafter.  The  stockholders  were  further  informed 
that  if  anyone  desired  to  sell  his  stock,  he  could  sign 
the  enclosed  order,  return  it  and  receive  one  dollar 
or  if  he  desired  to  take  from  one  to  four  more 
shares  he  could  send  the  money  and  receive  the  stock 
at  par.     Stock  jobbers  and  promoters  were  astonished 


238  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

at  this  lasc  proposition,  to  sell  at  par,  stock  that  had 
earned  150  per  cent,  dividend.  All  the  remaining  stock 
was  quickly  snapped  up  by  subscribers  and  millions 
of  others  subscribed  in  order  to  secure  a  few  shares  of 
stock. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  239 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
E'rHi;L's   Phii^osophy   of   Life;;. 

Ethel's  social  and  psychic  department  of  Truth's 
Torch  had  now  attracted  considerable  attention  and 
discussion.  Many  women  had  been  greatly  benefited 
by  the  guides  to  health  set  up  by  Ethel  and  in  their 
gratitude  they  desired  to  help  other  sufferers.  They 
proposed  the  organization  of  a  Woman's  Health  Cul- 
ture Institute.  Ethel  and  Edith  favored  the  project 
and  promised  to  assume  the  role  of  teachers  for  a 
brief  period  at  least.  It  was  to  be  known  as  the 
Women's  University  of  Health  and  Social  Science. 

Although  the  founding  of  such  an  educational  in- 
stitution was  an  undertaking  that  required  much  time 
and  careful  preparation,  it  was  soon  open  for  business. 
It  was  free  to  all  and  opened  with  a  class  of  250, 
chiefly  society  women.  The  auditorium,  which  ac- 
commodated about  i,2(X),  was  also  well  filled  by  a 
rather  mixed  audience  of  women  exclusively,  men 
being  barred.  It  was  a  strange  freak,  thought  many 
society  leaders,  but  none  would  dare  turn  down  or 
publicly  criticise  even  a  whim  proposed  by  Ethel  or 
Edith.  The  Society  press  regarded  it  as  a  "charming 
diversion"  that  could  be  made  productive  of  much 
good. 

Ethel  opened  the  University  in  a  somewhat  ex- 
tended address.  It  was  to  be  conducted  on  the  Uni- 
versity plan ;  lectures  by  teachers  and  general  discus- 
sion afterward  in  which  the  class  could  participate. 
In  substance  Ethel  said : 

"The  mission  of  this  University  is  to  aid  woman  in 
finding  the  true  object  of  human  existence.  This 
should  be  the  purpose  of  all  institutions  of  learning, 


240  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

but  many  have  sadly  failed  in  this  mission.  They  are 
little  more  than  factories  for  the  polishing  of  pebbles 
and  the  dimming  of  diamonds.  They  produce  eguists 
and  the  higher  the  college  the  greater  the  egoist  it 
produces.  The  egoist  is  the  product  of  that  sort  of 
individualism  that  knows  only  self ;  self,  first,  last,  and 
all  the  time.  This  self  believes  only  what  it  can 
understand  and  as  it  understands  nothing  perfectly  it 
has  no  positive  belief,  except  in  the  infallibility  of 
self.  Being  a  mere  self,  it  is  selfish.  Being  an  egoist 
it  is  proud,  arrogant,  and  domineering.  It  is  possess- 
ed of  an  overweening  desire  for  notoriety,  praise,  ador- 
ation. Having  no  love  or  even  respect  for  others  it  is 
devoid  of  the  magnetism  that  attracts  love.  It  there- 
fore seeks  greatness  in  the  possession  of  the  common 
idol  of  egoistical  adoration — money,  wealth,  and  the 
distinction  that  wealth  confers. 

"The  higher  educational  institutions  for  women 
are  no  better  than  those  for  men.  We  have  plenty 
of  them.  Good  ones.  And  the  better  the  worse,  for 
in  their  goodness  consists  their  badness.  Do  they 
teach  women  how  to  be  happy  ?  How  to  make  others 
happy?  for  in  that  consists  all  true  happiness.  Do 
they  teach  women  how  to  abolish  worry?  How  to  be 
well  ?  How  to  make  sunshine  about  them  ?  How  to 
be  beautiful  ?  How  to  adorn  their  children  with  beauty 
of  mind  and  body  ?  Oh  no.  They  teach  women  how 
to  bow  before  that  most  cruel  and  heartless  of  all 
tyrants,  society.  How  to  prostrate  themselves  before 
the  sacred  shrine  of  mercenary  fashion  -aociety  and 
mercenary  fashion,  whose  heartless  union  produce  fear, 
worry,  selfishness,  envy,  anger,  disease,  suffering,  des- 
pair, suicide  or  premature  death. 

"It  is  true  that  some  women  find  some  measure  of 
happiness  in  church  work.  They  believe  that  beyond 
the  grave  is  a  land  of  happiness  awaiting  them.     And 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  241 

how  many  really  believe  even  that  ?  I  know  that  some 
women  in  whose  soul  still  dimly  burns  the  electric 
spark  of  divine  light,  believe  it— but  I  fear  that  too 
many,  even  of  professed  Christians,  hardly  do  know 
what  they  believe— they  think  that  by  attending  church 
they  take  the  chances  on  it.  They  are  told  that  this 
is  a  world  of  trial,  of  tribulation,  of  suffering;  that 
poor  humanity  is  prone  to  sin ;  that  the  flesh  is  weak 
and  sinful  nature  strong ;  that  happiness  cannot  be  ex- 
pected here  below;  and  that  a  land  of  bliss  awaits 
those  who  believe  and  suffer. 

"The  truth  is  that  this  world,  like  all  the  other 
heavenly  bodies,  was  made  by  the  Creator  to  be  a 
■i^orld  of  happiness,  a  world  of  joy.     Everything  essen- 
tial to  human  happiness  was  created  in  lavish  abund- 
ance.    And  man  was  given  dominion  over  it ;  not  to 
suffer  and  eke  out  a  miserable  existence,  but  to  be  the 
happiest  of  all  God's  creation.     All  fear  and  worry, 
sin  and  suffering,  disease  and  death  included,  are  evil — 
every  one  of  them  evils  of  man's  creation.     By  his 
own  free  will  did  man  create  them  and  by  the  same 
free  will  he  can  cast  them  off — not  of  his  own  mortal 
power,  remember,  but  by  the  cultivation  of  the  divine 
light   which   dispels   all   darkness.     And  furthermore, 
there  is  no  happiness  beyond  the  grave  for  those  who 
do  not  find  it  here  by  making  others  happy.     Happi- 
ness is  the  full  fruition  of  right  mind,  and  the  mind 
that  is  not  right  here  will  not  be  right  beyond.     The 
first  step  toward  happiness  is  to  get  the  mind  right. 
We  can  do  all  this  if  we  know  how  and  try.  We  must 
make  the  effort.     It  may  seem  hard  sometimes  to  up- 
root prejudices,  to  cast  out  error,  to  abolish  illusive 
mind,   but  it  can  be  done.     Everyone  who  sincerely 
seeks  light,  truth,  love,  is  rewarded'  one  thousand  fold. 
To  aid  women  in  this  work  is  the  mission  of  this  Uni- 
versity. 


242  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"Here  woman  can  find  her  highest  and  noblest 
mission.  She  is  the  chief  sufferer  from  every  species 
of  social  and  industrial  evils.  The  evils  are  social 
rather  than  industrial  and  for  social  evils  woman  holds 
in  her  hand  the  remedy.  She  is  the  architect  of  soci- 
ety. She  can  mould  it  and  fashion  it  as  she  will.  She 
has  been  a  long  and  patient  sufferer.  Her  redemption 
is  at  hand  if  she  desires  it.  And  the  encouraging 
feature  of  the  remedy  is  that  every  woman  can  apply 
it  for  herself  whether  others  will  aid  her  or  not. 

"Woman  first  needs  liberty — emancipation." 

"That  is  what  we  all  need,"  interrupted  a  half 
dozen  voices. 

"Yes,"  continued  Ethel,  "emancipation  from  the 
rule,  the  tyranny  of  an  evil — a  veritable  devil  of  wo- 
man's own  creation." 

The  pupils  looked  at  one  another  in  amazement, 
while  some  were  unable  to  catch  their  breath  for  a 
moment. 

"I  refer  to  worry,"  continued  Ethel.  "Worry  is 
woman's  most  deadly  enemy.  It  is  the  destroyer  of 
health,  the  slayer  of  beauty,  the  assassin  of  happiness, 
the  despoiler  of  the  home.  This  assassin  comes  un- 
heralded ;  stealthily  and  surreptitiously  this  fiend 
sneaks  into  the  human  heart ;  he  instills  his  subtle  poison 
into  the  life  springs  of  the  mind ;  he  draws  curtains  of 
darkness  about  the  electric  spark  of  divme  light  that 
illumines  the  soul ;  he  adorns  the  mind  with  spectres 
of  goblins ;  he  then  installs  his  inseparable  companion, 
fear,  the  nerve-shatterer.  With  the  diviiie  fight,  the 
only  light  that  illuminates  the  joys  of  life  shut  off,  the 
harmony  of  soul  and  nature,  mind  and  body,  is  de- 
stroyed. Fear  lends  wings  to  diseased  imagination, 
and  distempered  fancy  conjures  up  a  thousand  spectres. 
Harmony  is  destroyed.  Disharmony  is  enthroned. 
Harmony    is    health.     Disharmony    is    disease.     The 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  243 

poor  victim  suffers.  The  suffering  is  real ;  as  real  as 
anything  mortal  can  be.  The  suffering  reaches  the 
hysterical  border;  sometimes  passes  over.  It  is  the 
torment  of  the  damned.  Why  not?  The  prince  of 
devils  is  enthroned  in  the  illusive  mind.  The  sufferer 
craves  sympathy  and  the  more  sympathy  received  the 
more  real  becomes  the  suffering. 

"A  man  thus  afflicted  usually  takes  to  drink.  He 
seeks  temporary  relief  in  destruction  of  the  mind.  He 
abuses  his  family.  He  indulges  his  animal  passions. 
He  wants  to  fight.  He  not  unfrequently  closes  the 
chapter  in  murder  and  suicide. 

"Women  sometimes  pursue  the  same  course,  but 
they  more  frequently  call  in  the  aid  of  a  physician. 
The  doctor  usually  understands  the  case  well.  He  asks 
the  stereotyped  questions  and  makes  the  perfunctory 
examination.  He  tells  the  patient  that  her  nervous 
system  has  been  overtaxd  and  that  she  needs  rest, 
but  he  does  not  mention  the  tyrannical  slave  driver 
that  has  overpowered  her  nerves.  He  finds  the  stom- 
ach in  rebellion  and  the  liver  torpid.  The  prisoners 
have  broken  out  and  the  guards  are  asleep.  Circula- 
tion is  bad  owing  to  weak  heart  action.  The  physician 
knows  that  the  heart  is  weary  of  being  crowded  to  the 
wall  by  an  overloaded  stomach.  He  advises  lighter 
and  more  frquent  meals,  'provided  you  are  hungry.' 
The  doctor  makes  her  a  prescription,  warns  her  to  be 
careful  and  to  call  next  day  or  the  week  following. 

"  'How  are  my  lungs  and  heart,  doctor  ?'  inquires 
the  patient. 

"  'Normal,  in  very  good  condition,'  replies  the 
doctor. 

"  'You  think  I  have  no  organic  trouble  of  the  lungs 
or  heart?' 

"  'Your  lungs  are  sound  as  a  wedge  and  your 
heart   is    unimpaired,'    replies   the    doctor   assuringly. 


244  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

'You  are  run  doAvn  and  need  building  up.  I  would  ad- 
vise a  g-lass  of  wine  or  pale  ale  before  meals  and  just 
before  retiring.  After  a  course  of  treatment  you  will 
be  a  perfectly  well  woman.' 

"The  woman  returns  home  reassured  and  takes 
her  medicine,  which  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  is  some 
trivial  concoction  of  drugs.  She  believes  it  will  cure 
her  and  as  a  result  of  this  belief  she  feels  better.  She 
confides  her  success  to  a  friend  who  shakes  her  head 
and  replies,  'I  passed  through  all  that,  but  the  relief 
was  only  temporary.  I  finally  gave  that  doctor  up  and 
tried  baths  and  massage,  and  do  you  know,  I  feel  like  a 
new  person.' 

"The  victim  thinks  this  over  and  discovers  that  she 
had  not  been  cured  at  all.  Her  troubles  come  back 
upon  her  perhaps  worse  than  before.  Her  husband 
calls  upon  the  doctor  to  ascertain  what  is  really  the 
matter  with  her.  The  doctor  says  she  was  getting  on 
nicely,  but  did  not  complete  the  course.  Had  she  con- 
tinued until  he  had  her  rebuilt  she  would  have  been 
all  right. 

"She  declares  to  her  husband  that  she  does  not 

believe  Dr. understands  her  case.     Mrs. 

told  her  of  an  osteopathist  physician  who  cured  her. 
The  symptoms  were  the  same.  She  would  try  him. 
Her  husband  smiles  a  weary,  far-away  smile  and  says, 
*A11  right,  my  dear.' 

"She  calls  on  the  Osteopathist  and  informs  him 
of  her  sufferings  and  efforts  to  be  cured.  He  makes  a 
searching  examination  in  order  to  make  sure  that  there 
has  been  no  oversight  in  her  anatomical  construction. 
He  puts  to  her  a  list  of  new  questions.  She  sees  at 
once  that  he  knows  something.  He  informs  her  that 
her  case  is  a  very  common  one  among  people  holding 
her  position  in  social  life.  Her  gustatory,  digestive 
and  assimilative   svstem  is   all   right.     She  needs  no 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  245 

medicine.     Her  circulation  is  weak  owing  to  disorgani- 
zation of  the  nervous  system. 

"  'I  find  that  the  posterior  tibal  and  the  intercostal 
nerves  and  the  bronchial  plexus  are  estranged  from  the 
ulmor  and  the  sophemons,  thus  intensifying  the  reflex 
action  of  the  sciatic  plexis  on  the  cerrebellum,  thus  in- 
flaming the  nerves  of  approbativeness,  imitation  and 
alimentiveness.  Nothing  but  an  iron  constitution  and 
phenomenal  will  power  enables  you  to  look  as  well  as 
you  do  and  keep  up  under  such  an  affliction/  says  the 
physician. 

"  'Is  there  any  cure  for  such  a  terrible  disease?' 
asks  the  sufferer,  as  she  fixes  a  searching  look  of 
mingled  hope  and  despair  upon  his  benevolent  face. 

"  'Certainly.  Curing  such  afflictions  is  our  special- 
ty. Your  excellent  constitution  will  surely  respond  to 
skillful  treatment.' 

"  'Is  your  system  of  treatment  very  trying  on  the 
nerves  ?'  asks  the  sufferer. 

"  'Not  at  all,  madam.  On  the  contrary  it  is 
soothing.  All  the  old  harsh  treatments  have  been 
abolished  by  our  science.' 

"  'How  long  would  it  require  and  what  is  your 
course  of  treatment?' 

"  'Some  cases  require  longer  time  than  others. 
Much  depends  upon  the  aid  the  patient  can  always  ex- 
tend to  the  physician.  You  will  experience  relief  from 
the  first  treatment.  I  should  say  three  or  four  months 
would  suffice  in  your  case.  I  would  expect  you  to 
come  here  every  other  day  at  first.' 

"She  takes  the  treatment.  The  doctor  introduces 
the  estranged  nerves  to  one  another  and  by  skillful 
manipulation  works  them  into  that  harmony  destroy- 
ed by  the  worry  fiend.  The  surface  kneading  and 
manipulation  works  the  stagnant  blood  out  of  the  cap- 
illary veins,  a  remedy  she  could  have  applied  in  her 


246  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

own  bath  room  with  a  crash  towel  or  flesh  brush.  She 
feels  better  for  a  time  but  the  primary  cause  is  still  at 
work  and  a  relapse  follows.  The  physicians  can  do 
nothing  more  for  her.  She  has  lost  faith  in  them. 
They  advise  change  of  scene,  foreign  travel. 

"She  abandons  her  home  for  cooped-up  rooms  in 
hotels.  The  change  of  scene  distracts  her  mind  from 
the  home  worry  and  she  returns  improved  in  health. 
But  the  old  malady  returns.  There  seems  to  be  no  rest, 
no  joy,  no  happiness  for  her  this  side  of  the  grave." 

At  this  juncture,  the  class  and  the  audience 
evinced  the  most  enthusiastic  approval. 

"You  must  have  been  a  great  sufferer?"  said  a 
motherly  old  lady  to  Ethel. 

"I  never  was  sick  an  hour  in  my  life.  From  per- 
sonal experience  I  know  naught  of  physical  ailments." 

"Then  you  must  be  well  informed  in  i\ie  pathology 
of  disease  or  you  could  not  discuss  the  sufferings  of 
the  majority  of  us  so  accurately,"  remarked  one  of 
the  ladies. 

"I  think  that  I  understand  most  diseases  and  their 
causes  and  one  of  the  objects  of  this  school  is  to  teacti 
women  how  to  prevent  as  well  as  cure  physical  as  well 
as  mental  ills. 

"But  there  is  vastly  more  in  this  existence  than 
curing  the  body.  There  is  the  art  of  preserving  youth. 
The  art  of  remaining  young  and  vigorous,  mentally 
and  physically.  The  art  of  preventing  gray  hairs. 
The  art  of  keeping  wrinkles  away  from  our  faces.  The 
art  of  real  happiness.  There  is  the  art,  not  only  of  liv- 
ing happy  but  dying  happy.  We  shall  discover  that 
when  we  learn  the  truth  that  there  is  no  death  for 
those  who  would  live.  When  we  learn  that  that  frighc- 
ful  nightmare  called  death  is  only  a  transit  from  a  low- 
er to  a  higher  state  of  happiness,  death  shall  lose  its 
sting  and  Satan's  victory  shall  be  no  more.     All  these 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  247 

things  and  more  shall  be  taught  in  this  school.  And 
you  shall  not  be  asked  to  take  them  on  the  word  of 
promise.  You  shall  return  home,  your  arms  filled 
with  the  fruits  of  promise  fulfilled." 

Ethel's  opening  address  was  applauded  to  the 
echo.  Many  ladies  expressed  regret  that  they  had 
not  had  the  advantages  of  such  a  school  thirty  or  forty 
years  ago. 

"Never  mind  the  years,"  said  Ethel.  "Thirty  or 
forty,  or  one  hundred  or  one  thousand  years  are  only 
a  moment  in  eternity." 

"Yes,"  said  the  lady.  "When  we  get  there,  but 
you  see  we  are  here  now." 

Ethel  smiled  as  she  replied,  "Yes,  we  are  here. 
But  where  is  here?  We  are  passing  through  a  sec- 
tion of  an  eternal  existence  measured  by  what  we  call 
time.  Measured  by  this  imaginary  thing  time,  we 
would  be  very  old  now." 

"Do  you  believe  that  we  had  an  existence  prior  to 
this  life?"  inquired  one  of  the  ladies. 

"I  believe  that  the  electric  spark  of  divine  light, 
the  vital  principle  of  life  called  the  soul,  is  immortal — 
eternal — and  being  eternal  it  will  have  no  end  and 
could  have  no  beginning,  in  the  mortal  sense  of  a  begin- 
ning. But  we  may  not  }-*et  go  into  the  metaphysical. 
This  school  opens  with  the  practical  material  things 
aroused  about  us.  We  begin  with  the  abolition  of 
worry,  the  fruitful  source  of  nearly  all  our  woes,  the 
chief  impediment  to  happiness." 

An  animated  discussion  followed  this  address. 
Some  thought  that  Ethel  was  too  severe  on  our  insti- 
tutions of  learning.  Others  agreed  with  Ethel  that  no 
institution  that  did  not  tend  to  the  promtion  of  love 
and  brotherhood  and  the  uplifting  of  all  humanity 
could  properly  be  termed  an  educational  institution. 


248  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
Fear  and  Worry. 

The  second  session  of  Ethel's  school  opened  under 
most  favorable  auspices.  There  were  present  in  th« 
class  about  150  of  the  most  prominent  ladies  of  tnc 
highest  circles  of  the  "400."  A  more  self-satisfied  gal- 
axy of  wealth  and  social  culture  could  not  be  imag- 
ined- 

Ethel  wrote  the  following  lesson  on  the  black- 
board : 

"Worry,  the  chief  source  of  women's  woes  shall 
be  supplanted  by  love,  peace,  health  and  happiness." 

The  auditorium  was  well  filled  and  expectation 
was  on  tiptoe,  for  all  desired  to  abolish  worry. 

"What  must  we  give  up  in  order  to  abolish 
worry?"  inquired  a  cautious  pupil. 

"Selfishness,  the  root  of  all  the  evils  that  curse 
humanity,"  replied  Ethel. 

"You  can  name  nothing  that  I  would  not  surrender 
for  love,  peace,  health  and  happiness,"  said  a  lady  who 
bore  the  traces  of  intense  suffering. 

"I  accept  your  proposition  and  I  believe  that  I 
express  the  sentiment  of  the  entire  class,"  said  a  lady 
of  evident  culture  and  commanding  presence. 

"How  is  this  remedy  to  be  applied?  Hov/  is  a 
sufferer  to  begin  ?"  inquired  a  lady. 

"The  first  step  in  the  abolition  of  worry  and  fear, 
is  to  ascertain  the  cause.  This  is  sometimes  difficult  in 
particular  cases,  but  with  careful  conscientious  effort, 
by  cultivating  the  real  light  within  and  confidently 
asking  for  more,  the  cause  can  be  found. 

"Taking  the  causes  of  worry  in  the  natural  order, 
^ve  first  find  the  fear  of  want — fear  of  poverty.     This 


D' MARS  AFFINITY.  249 

is  the  licll  that  most  concerns  the  masses.  It  is  not 
confined  to  the  poor  alone.  Every  rank  and  grade  of 
society  is  haunted  by  this  horrible  nightmare.  The 
multi-millionaire  is  haunted  by  this  spectre  as  well  as 
the  pauper.  He  works  as  hard  to  get  his  tenth  million 
as  he  did  to  get  the  first.  It  is  the  muscle  that  clenches 
the  misers  fist  and  contracts  the  usurer's  heart.  Selfish- 
ness and  greed  are  its  fruits  and  wealth  its  idol.  Did 
you  ever  notice  the  shrunken  face  of  the  usurer,  how 
the  color  of  his  face  becomes  a  cross  between  the 
precious  metals  at  a  ratio  of  sixteen  to  one  ? 

"Then  there  is  another  and  still  more  debasing 
phase  of  selfishness  and  greed.  That  is  the  selfish- 
ness and  greed  that  seeks  wealth  for  the  gratification 
of  ambition  and  pride.  Those  wlio  indulge  this  social 
vice  of  pride  absolutely  ignore  the  command :  'Love 
thy  neighbor  as  thyself.'  And  they  pay  the  penalty — 
here  and  hereafter.  What  they  sufifer  in  their  present 
existence  may  only  be  a  taste  of  what  is  t^^  come — be 
that  as  it  may,  it  is  an  awful  price  to  pay  for  the  tran- 
sitory and  delusive  joy  of  a  few  social  victories  that 
crumble  to  ashes  like  the  dead  sea  apples.  They  have 
their  worries — often  the  worry  of  dark  despair.  They 
not  only  pay  the  penalty  of  their  own  folly,  but  for 
the  worry  they  cause  others  as  well.  They  are  not 
only  slaves  of  social  tyranny,  shut  ofif  from  the  light 
of  happiness,  but  doomed  to  forego  the  joy  of  love." 

Each  of  Ethel's  thrusts  at  selfishness  and  greed, 
pride  and  ambition,  envy  and  hatred  went  home  to 
these  representatives  of  mere  wealth  with  nerve  shat- 
tering force.  They  not  only  worried  over  the  truths 
she  uttered,  some  of  them  showed  signs  of  anger. 

"As  I  have  already  stated."  said  Ethel,  "To  abolish 
evils  that  have  already  become  idols,  requires  some 
sacrifice,  but  the  joy  and  happiness  gained  in  return 
far  more  than  compensate.     And  after  all  it  is  no  sac- 


250  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

rifice.  It  is  simply  abolishing  woman's  chief  cause  of 
worry. 

"The  chief  cause  of  woman's  worry  and  all  the 
evils  that  follow  in  its  train  is  the  tyranny  of  that  ruth- 
less despot,  that  prince  of  fiends,  'Mercenary  Fash- 
ion.' " 

A  lady  arose  and  Ethel  looked  for  the  expected 
storm. 

"I  thank  you  for  those  words,"  she  said.  "I  re- 
joice that  one  of  our  set  has  the  courage  to  assail  our 
common  enemy,  appropriately  named  'Mercenary 
Fashion.' 

"I  have  long  been  a  sufferer  from  the  tyranny 
of  this  invading  monster.  I  have  beheld  the  carnage, 
heard  the  despairing  wails  of  the  helpless  victims, 
noted  the  wreck  and  ruin  that  mark  its  path,  shud- 
dered at  the  sight  of  the  bleaching  bones  of  its  victims 
in  the  highways  and  in  the  byways.  I  have  long 
known  that  'Mercenary  Fashion'  is  the  chief  source  of 
woman's  worry  and  of  man's  worry  too.  But  until 
now,  I  did  not  know  that  worry  is  the  destroyer  of 
mental  and  physical  health  and  beauty  and  these  gone 
there  can  be  no  happiness.  And  to  think  that  during 
all  this  time  the  reformers,  the  so-called  emancipators 
of  wom-en,  the  high-toned  college,  the  society  press,  the 
forum  and  the  pulpit  have  failed  to  denounce  this  evil 
— nay,  they  dare  not  even  rebuke  the  insane  pranks  of 
this  blind,  heartless,  soulless,  tyrant — 'Mercenary 
Fashion.'  You  can  count  on  me  to  do  my  full  part  in 
this  crusade." 

"There  will  be  no  crusade,"  replied  Ethel.  "No 
warfare,  no  criticism  even  of  those  who  differ  with  us. 
We  would  not  substitute  one  species  of  tyranny  for  an- 
other. What  woman  needs,  and  man  too.  is  emancipa- 
tion from  mental  slavery,  sin  and  suffering.  The 
emancipation  which  we  seek'  not  only  makes  us  strong 


I   HAVE  EDITED  A  POLITICAL   PAPER  TOO  LOXG  TO  TELL  THE 

TRUTH  NOW,"— Page  236. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  251 

but  it  disarms  the  enemy.  This  emancipation  is  not 
only  a  work  of  love  for  others  but  a  promoter  of  our 
own  happiness.  Every  moment  we  devote  to  this 
work  is  a  moment  of  joy,  a  season  of  good  impressions, 
even  in  sickness  the  emancipated  mind  is  grateful  for 
the  limitations  of  the  suffering,  and  in  death  it  opens 
the  windows  of  the  soul  to  the  early  dawn  of  a  higher 
and  happier  existence.  Indeed  an  emancipation  can  be 
reached  that  relieves  the  body  of  all  suffermg  and  dis- 
arms death  of  all  its  terrors,  rendering  it  only  a  nappy 
awaking  from  a  troubled  dream. 

"Now,  my  friends,  I  know  you  all  suffer.  And 
your  sufferings  reach  others  and  make  them  suffer. 
By  emancipating  yourselves  you  emancipate  others. 
Thus  your  efforts  are  twice  blest.     What  say  you?" 

"I  can't  see  why  we  must  abolish  fashion.  With- 
out fashion  and  style  what  would  a  woman  be?  What 
would  occupy  her  time  ?"  replied  a  fashionably  gowned 
lady. 

"Emancipation  from  the  tyranny  of  mercenary 
fashion,  from  the  fear  of  that  strange  spell  'what  will 
they  say  ?' ;  from  a  selfish  and  malicious  desire  to  make 
unhappiness  for  those  who  cannot  afford  to  keep  up 
our  pace,  does  not  require  us  to  go  to  the  other  ex- 
treme and  abandon  comfortable  and  even  elegant  ap- 
parel and  beautiful  and  artistically  furnished  home^. 
It  is  that  indulgence  of  pride  and  vanity  that  drives 
even  the  mercenaries  of  fashion  to  despair  in  efforts  to 
design  something  new,  regardless  of  taste  or  comfort 
or  decency,  that  we  condemn,"  replied  Ethel. 

"But,"  said  the  fashionable  woman,  "a  fashion 
that  lacks  merit  will  not  last  long." 

"Very  true,"  said  Ethel.  "And  the  shorter  its 
life  the  better  for  the  mercenary  who  makes  money  out 
of  catering  to  pride  and  vanity.  But  however  short- 
the  fashion,  the  tyranny  and  folly  that  induces  people 


252  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

to  adopt  it,  lasts  and  seems  to  go  on  forever  with  worry 
and  wreck  and  ruin  following-  in  its  wake." 

"But  no  one  is  compelled  to  adopt  any  fashion  if 
she  can't  afford  it,"  replied  the  woman  who  proved 
to  be  the  owner  of  a  fashion  emporium. 

"When  you  say  'No  one  is  compelled'  you  over- 
look the  real  evil  under  discussion,  the  tyranny,  the 
worry,  the  compulsor}^  power  of  illusive  mind.  Not 
compelled,  indeed !  Thousands  who  are  financially 
unable  to  aflford  this  folly  imagine  that  they  must  do 
it  in  order  to  keep  in  the  swim.  And  they  do  it  at 
the  expense  of  home,  family,  peace  and  happiness — and 
some  women  bow  to  this  tyrant  at  a  still  greater  sac- 
rifice, the  price  of  honor  and  virtue.  You  speak  of 
those  who  can't  afford  it.  Who  can  afford  it?  Who 
can  afford  to  send  abroad  the  devils  of  envy  in  the 
hearts  of  thousands  in  order  to  amuse  the  devil  of 
pride  and  vanity  in  their  own  hearts  ?  The  tyrannical 
scandal  of  mercenary  fashion  starts  with  the  demi- 
monde in  Paris ;  it  is  eagerly  grasped  by  our  people 
of  wealth ;  it  comes  down  through  them  to  the  mid- 
dle classes  and  even  the  poor ;  like  a  heritage  from 
Satan — a  blast  from  perdition.  This  is  indeed  scan- 
dal the  great  Master  said,  'better  that  a  mill-stone  be 
hung  about  your  neck  and  that  you  be  cast  into  the 
depth  of  the  sea,  than  that  you  give  scandal  even  to 
one  of  these  little  ones.'  I  fear  that  we  are  all  'little 
ones'  in  the  sense  of  weakness  in  the  face  of  tempta- 
tion, if  not  in  the  higher  sense  of  youth  and  innocence." 

This  argument  was  received  with  vociferous  ap- 
plause by  the  vast  audience  that  filled  even  the  stand- 
ing room,  but  the  applause  from  the  class,  while  quite 
liberal,  was  guarded. 

Ethel  knew  that  the  applause  from  the  audience 
was  rather  intended  as  a  "roast"  for  the  wealthy  ladies 
of  the  class  than  as  recognition  of  a  great  truth.     She 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  253 

knew  it  was  prompted  more  by  envy  than  love.  So 
she  turned  to  the  audience  and  said: 

"You  applaud,  but  how  many  of  you  would  do 
much  better  than  the  wealthy  were  you  in  their  place  ? 
My  experience  has  taught  me  that  those  who  sudden- 
ly rise  from  poverty  to  wealth  are  the  worst  oppressors 
of  the  poor  and  the  silliest  victims  of  mercenar}' 
fashion." 

"That  proves  the  evil  influence  of  wealth,"  re- 
m,arked  a  woman  in  the  audience. 

"It  does,"  replied  Ethel,  "and  it  tends  to  prove 
more.  It  tends  to  prove  that  many  of  the  poor  are 
more  anxious  to  get  into  the  swim  with  the  rich,  than 
they  are  to  abolish  the  injustice  that  causes  poverty." 
It  was  now  the  turn  of  the  class  to  applaud  and  they 
embraced  the  opportunity  with  a  will. 

"I  desire,"  said  Ethel,  "to  call  your  attention  to 
a  few  of  the  real  evils  as  well  as  the  ridiculous  phases 
of  the  fear  and  worry  that  grows  out  of  this  idolatr}' 
of  mercenary  fashion. 

"During  our  last  visit  to  Paris,  Edith  and  I  drifted 
into  a  vast  Bazaar  devoted  entirely  to  the  sale  of 
curios.  It  was  well  patronized,  chiefly  by  foreigners, 
most  of  whom  were  Americans.  We  inspected  it  very 
fully.  Amid  the  thousands  of  trinkets  exposed  for 
sale,  we  were  unable  to  find  much  that  was  useful  or 
in  any  way  conducive  to  human  comfort,  art,  or  even 
tasty  as  an  adornment.  Scarcely  an}thing  was  dupli- 
cated, and  of  course  the  prices  were  high.  I  noticed 
that  the  purchasers  were  very  anxious  about  the  guar- 
antee that  no  one  else  could  get  a  duplicate.  Even 
the  clerks  could  scarcely  conceal  their  contempt  for 
the  pride  and  stupid  efiforts  of  the  purchasers  at 
haughty  exclusiveness. 

"One  day  an  American  lady,  noted  as  an  enter- 
tainer, and  her  husband  arrived  at  my  hotel.     I  men- 


254  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

tion  his  wife  first  because  she  was  pretty  nearly  the 
whole  thing.  When  not  busy  obeying  her  orders,  her 
husband  sat  on  the  veranda  reading  the  markets  or  in- 
specting and  answering  cablegrams  from  Wall  Street. 
This  woman  had  forty  trunks  and  five  servants.  She 
was  on  the  verge  of  nervous  prostration. 

"She  was  in  a  dilemma  whether  to  first  call  upon 
a  noted  nerve  specialist  or  visit  a  fashionable  emporium 
and  order  a  few  new  gowns.  Two  days  later  an  ex- 
tend interview  with  her  on  social  reforms  appeared 
in  the  leading  society  paper  of  Paris. 

"One  of  the  most  injurious  influences  of  mercen- 
ary fashion  is  its  tendency  to  debasement  of  the 
body  as  well  as  of  the  mind.  We  have  all  noticed  the 
overweening  desire  of  the  fashion  designer  to  ex- 
hibit instead  of  conceal  the  anatomy  and  develop  an 
attractive  form.  This  may  be  useful  where  female 
charms  are  for  sale,  but  it  has  no  place  in  the  wardrobe 
or  the  heart  of  a  modest  woman.  Men,  in  this  sensu- 
ous age,  need  no  such  hints  or  allurements.  Only  im- 
agine Raphael  going  to  such  a  place  as  Worth's  in 
quest  of  inspiration  when  he  designed  his  famous 
Madonna !" 

"But  a  woman  must  have  some  shape.  Imagine 
us  all  going  about  without  corsets,"  remarked  a  lady. 

"There  is  something  infinitely  more  serviceable 
and  artistic  than  corsets,  and  cosmetics  and  drugs,  to 
give  shape,  beauty  and  health  to  women.  I  shall 
speak  of  that  in  a  later  lesson.  Corsets,  tight  shoes, 
cosmetics  and  drugs  are  all  inventions  of  the  fiend  of 
mercenary  fashion  for  women's  torture,"  replied  Ethel. 

"If  you  would  abolish  medicine  and  doctors  al- 
together I  may  as  well  give  up.  Without  my  physician 
I  do  not  believe  I  would  live  a  month,"  said  a  woman 
whose  face  bespoke  much  worry  and  intense  suffering. 

"What  is  your  malady,  madam?"  inquired  Ethel. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  255 

"It  is  a  strange  complication  of  diseases,"  replied 
the  lady.  "My  nerves  are  continually  on  the  verge 
of  collapse.  I  am  subject  to  sciatic  and  neuralgic  pains 
which  shift  about,  something  like  muscular  rheuma- 
tism. Then  I  suffer  from  stomach  trouble,  my  diet 
chart  has  to  be  changed  frequently.  I  have  cold  feet 
and  cold  chills  at  times  run  down  my  spine,  I  suffered 
intensely  until  I  found  my  present  physician  about 
five  years  ago.  The  others  all  gave  me  up.  Were  it 
not  for  him  I  would  be  dead,"  said  the  lady. 

"Why  don't  he  cure  you  ?"  inquired  Ethel. 

"Had  he  got  the  case  in  time,  he  says  he  could 
have  cured  me,  but  it  had  made  such  headway  when  he 
took  it  that  it  required  the  utmost  skill  to  save  my 
life.  But  he  has  benefited  me.  The  nature  of  my  case 
is  such  that  the  medicine  that  will  relieve  cure  one 
disease,  intensifies  another.  He  has  discovered  some 
new  medicines  that  have  greatly  relieved  me,  at  least  in 
the  sense  that  I  grow  no  worse.  He  is  working  now 
on  a  toxine  of  a  peculiar  nature.  He  expects  by 
means  of  this  toxine  to  destroy  the  malignant  germs 
and  strengthen  the  friendly  germs.  He  is  going  to 
try  it  first  on  my  poodle.  Poor  little  'Tip'  suffers 
pretty  much  as  I  suffer.  He  is  very  sensitive.  He 
suffers  from  dyspepsia  and  when  the  neuralgic  pains 
rack  his  poor  little  nerves,  his  screams  are  piteous,  and 
to  think  that  I  can  do  nothing  for  him,"  said  the  suf- 
ferer with  a  deep  sigh. 

"Did  you  ever  send  'Tip'  to  a  canine  physician 
for  treatment?"  inquired  a  lady. 

"Oh  yes,"  replied  the  poor  woman,  "and  strange 
to  say,  he  entirely  recovered,  but  when  I  bring  him 
home  his  malady  returns.     Poor  little  'Tip.' " 

"Where  does  he  sleep,"  inquired  a  lady. 

"He  has  his  own  room  and  bed.  A  servant  sleeps 
in  a  small  room  that  adjoins  his  and  looks  after  his 


256  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

little  wants.  But  he  makes  no  trouble,  he  is  very- 
thoughtful." 

"Why  don't  you  consult  the  doctor  who  is  so  suc- 
cessful in  curing  Tip  ?"  inquired  Ethel. 

"Would  you  consider  it  good  form  and  proper  for 
me  to  consult  an  anim'al  doctor?" 

"Anything  is  proper  that  promises  the  restoration 
of  health." 

"I  should  say  so.  Some  of  our  most  famous 
pathologists  started  as  animal  doctors.  Our  chief  army 
surgeon  during  the  Cuban  war  was  originally  a  horse 
doctor,"  remarked  Mrs.  Cygnet,  an  acknowledgied 
leader  of  the  inner  social  circle. 

"To  confess  the  truth,"  said  the  sufiferer,  "I  did 
ask  Tip's  doctor  one  day  how  he  effected  such  won- 
derful cures  on  animals.  He  said  he  had  a  secret 
treatment  for  canine  sufferers,  which  he  had  discov- 
ered at  great  expense  of  time  and  study.  He  would 
gladly  give  me  his  secret  if  it  would  be  of  any  use  to 
me,  but  the  treatment  could  not  be  applied  to  human 
beings." 

"But  Tip's  malady  returns.  This  doctor  does 
not  really  cure  him,"  said  Ethel. 

"I  asked  him  about  that,  too,"  said  the  sufferer. 
"He  told  me  that  Tip  is  very  delicately  organized  and 
consequiently  very  sensitive  and  symipathetic.  He 
said  that  Tip's  malady  is  largely  due  to  his  intense 
sympathy  for  me.  Poor  fellow,  he  is  about  the  only 
real  sympathizer  I  have." 

"Are  your  children  afflicted  with  your  malady?" 
inquired  Ethel. 

"Our  family  consists  of  only  myself  and  hus- 
band. I  have  worry  enough  without  children.  Two 
or  three  children  about  the  house,  in  my  condition, 
would  drive  me  crazy,  so  under  the  doctor's  advice  I 
concluded  not  to  bother  with  children." 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  257 

Ethel,  who  entertainecj  peculiar  ideas  on  this 
subject,  was  horrified,  but  she  did  not  consider  it  pol- 
icy to  branch  oft'.  She  said :  "Well,  you  say  Tip  is 
the  only  real  sympathizer  you  have.  Your  husband 
sympathizes  with  you.  does  he  not?" 

"O,  yes.  He  sympathizes  as  men  usually  do.  I 
have  nothing  to  say  against  him.  He  is  a  good,  kind, 
affectionate  husband  and  a  good  provider.  He  makes  a 
great  deal  of  money  and  is  lavish  in  supplying  all  my 
wants.  But  he  is  a  great,  strong,  robust  man.  Never 
was  sick,  never  suffered.  When  I  try  to  tell  him 
how  I  suffer,  he  lights  a  fresh  cigar  and  the  story  of 
my  sufferings  goes  up  in  smoke.  He  suggests  that  I 
visit  some  health  resort,  or  something  of  that  sort, 
but  he  is  very  busy  and  can't  accompany  me." 

"Why  don't  you  take  him  at  his  word  and  go?" 
said  one  of  the  ladies. 

"I  have  made  tours  of  our  home  resorts  and  dur- 
ing the  excitement  of  the  trips  and  the  novelty  of  my 
new  surroundings,  I  would  feel  better,  but  after  that 
wore  off  and  I  got  to  thinking,  all  my  pains  and  aches 
and  worry  would  come  back  to  me.  I  do  believe  that 
he  is  right,  that  an  extended  European  tour  would 
benefit  me,  but  it  is  not  wise  for  a  woman  who  has  a 
good  husband  like  mine,  to  leave  him  too  long  alone, 
amid  the  allurements  of  a  great  wicked  city  like  this," 
replied  the  sufferer. 

"If  he  is  that  sort  of  a  man.  you  might  as  well 
go.  You  can't  watch  him.  ]\Iy  husband  played  me 
for  a  while,  but  I  caught  him  and  got  a  divorce  and 
plenty  of  alimony.  I  think  a  woman  is  better  off 
without  a  husband  anyw^ay,  if  she  has  separate  means 
of  her  own,"  remarked  an  athletic  appearing  young 
woman,  with  red  hair,  almony  shaped  eyes,  aquiline 
nose  and  the  curves  of  ambition  well  developed  be- 
tween her  high  cheek  bones  and  firmly  set  mouth. 


258  D'MABS  AFEINITY. 

Ethel  saw  the  ominous  portend  of  an  approach- 
ing storm  and  adroitly  parried  it  off  by  resuming  the 
thread  of  the  lesson.  "My  dear  woman,"  she  began, 
"I  understand  your  trouble  and  I  deeply  sympathize 
with  you.  Your  sufferings,  to  you  are  real,  as  real 
as  anything  is  that  is  merely  mortal.  Your  case  is  a 
hard  one.  But  it  can  be  cured  if  you  will  only  co- 
operate in  the  cure.  There  are  thousands  of  cases 
like  it ;  only  differing  in  degree  of  suffering.  I  regard 
your  presence  here  and  your  candid  statement  as  fav- 
orable omens,    I  believe  thait  your  cure  is  assured." 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  159 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

On  the:  River  of  LiFe^. 

Nearly  two  years  had  now  elapsed  since  the 
clouds  that  shadowed  D'Mars  and  Ethel  had  cleared 
away.  It  had  been  to  them  a  season  of  uninterrupted 
joy.  Edith  and  Horace  Colston  were  engaged.  Hor- 
ace had  made  a  wonderful  success  of  Truth's  Torch. 
He  had  become  much  more  conservative  in  nis  edi- 
torials and  speeches.  He  no  longer  railed  against 
wealthy  men  merely  because  they  possessed  wealth. 
He  recognized  that  with  advancing  civilization  brain 
dominated  matter;  the  powers  of  nature  must  be  har- 
nessed up  to  lighten  the  exhaustiveness  of  toil.  This 
combination  of  the  forces  of  nature  to  supply  human 
needs  and  comforts  required  vast  capital.  The  toilers 
by  co-operation,  could,  if  they  would,  save  and  fur- 
nish the  necessary  capital.  But  they  had  not  done  so. 
If  they  owned  the  tools  of  production  and  employed 
themselves  they  could  shorten  their  hours  of  labor  and 
enjoy  the  benefits  of  labor-saving  machinery.  But 
they  do  not  and  therefore  we  have  the  capitalist  and 
the  employee  and  the  wage  system. 

Seeing  that  the  capitalist  is  the  necessary  result 
of  wage  workers  refusing  to  use  the  brains  of  busi- 
ness tact  as  well  as  their  hands,  Horace  became  more 
of  a  co-operative  educator  than  a  labor  agitator 
Through  reading  Truth's  Torch  many  wealthy  men 
began  to  see  the  advantages  of  business  intelligence 
among  wage  workers,  and  in  order  to  further  it  they 
inaugurated  profit  sharing  and  finally  co-operation 
among  their  employees. 

Ethel  and  Edith  were  the  central  figures  of  a 
splendid  group  of  intellectual  women  of  means  and 


260  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

leisure  who  saw  that  woman  had  a  higher  mission  in 
Hfe  than  posing  as  a  standing  advertisement  for  mer- 
cenary fashion  and  a  mark  for  quacks.  Their  logical 
and  eloquent  pleas  for  the  new  thought  and  the 
higher  and  happier  life,  bore  fruit  one  hundred  fold  in 
every  rank  and  grade  of  society. 

During  this  year  of  unalloyed  enjoyment,  D'Mars 
and  Ethel  had  given  much  attention  to  psychology. 
They  had  been  experimenting  with  the  higher  manifes- 
tations of  mental  phenomena.  They  had  long  known 
the  possibility  of  abstracting  the  mind  so  completely 
from  matter  or  material  things,  that  what  might  be 
termed  a  higher  state  of  consciousness  could  be 
reached.  How  to  control  these  mental  conditions  by 
will  power  was  what  they  sought  to  discover. 

They  had  already  sufficient  power  to  go  to  sleep 
at  any  moment  and  meet  in  dreams.  By  cultivation  of 
this  faculty  they  were  soon  able  to  converse  intelli- 
gently and  make  excursions  to  various  places  in  these 
dreams. 

These  excursions  began  by  a  sensation  of  flying, 
or  rather  passing  through  the  air  near  the  ground  by 
a  succession  of  long  steps  yhich  gradually  gave  way 
to  moving  continuously.  Many  readers  have  no  doubt 
dreamt  that  they  were  flying. 

They  soon  became  able  to  visit  distant  cities,  fairs, 
art  galleries  and  even  foreign  countries.  In  these  ex- 
cursions they  frequently  met  others  who  had  been 
making  similar  experiments.  What  surprised  them 
most  was  the  rapidity  of  their  flight  in  these  visits. 
On  one  occasion  they  had  visited  three  distant  cities  in 
different  foreign  lands,  spent  some  time  in  each  place, 
took  a  sail  on  a  lake  in  Canada  and  a  bath  at  the  fam- 
ous resort  of  Aggahamann  in  the  Golden  Horn,  and 
after  aAvaking  discovered  that  they  had  been  asleep 
only  thirty  minutes. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  261 

Encouraged  by  their  success  in  terrestrial  mind 
touring  they  conceived  the  daring  project  of  attempt- 
ing a  trip  beyond  this  planet.  Ethel  had  an  inspira- 
tion which  assured  her  that  her  mother  was  in  Venus. 
She  loved  her  mother  tenderly  and  longed  to  meet  her. 
Many  an  evening  she  watched  the  beautiful  evening 
star  and  wondered  if  her  sainted  mother  was  think- 
ing of  her.  Since  she  had  found  her  father,  the  de- 
sire to  find  her  mother  also  grew  upon  her. 

Ethel  informed  D'Mars  of  her  desire.  She  ex- 
pected him  to  laugh  at  her  silly  notion,  and  she  was 
correct  in  her  surmises.  But  when  he  saw  that  she 
could  not  be  dissuaded,  he  became  alarmed. 

"Suppose  you  should  not  return,  what  would  be- 
come to  me?"  he  inquired. 

"Why  not  accompany  me?"  suggested  Ethel. 

"I  certainly  should,"  remarked  D'Mars  as  he 
sealed  the  declaration  with  a  kiss. 

"But,"  he  added,  "suppose  neither  of  us  should 
return  ?" 

"I  fear  we  all  attach  too  much  importance  to  the 
location  of  our  material  bodies. 

"It  probably  matters  little  in  eternity  where  we 
are  during  a  momentary  physical  existence.  I  think 
that  if  we  make  up  our  mind  to  return  we  shall  re- 
turn," said  Ethel. 

It  was  to  be  a  double  wedding  and  the  moment- 
ous day  was  approaching.  Ethel  and  Edith  desired 
a  quiet  wedding,  but  their  friends  would  not  consent. 
They  insisted  that  it  should  be  a  notable  social  event. 
Nothing  short  of  a  grand  ball  would  be  considered. 
Messrs.  Vanstine  and  Rockwell  were  as  happy  as  the 
brides  and  the  grooms.  They  were  living  over  again 
the  days  of  youth.  How  little  all  knew  the  blow  that 
was  soon  to  fall. 

About  a  month  prior  to  the  wedding  day  D'Mars 
and  Ethel  were  making  one  of  their  nocturnal  excur- 


262  D'MARS  AFIINITY. 

sions.  They  had  visited  Australia  in  a  dream,  and 
viewed  the  scenes  of  their  early  hopes  and  fears.  On 
their  return  they  stopped  in  San  Francisco,  where  they 
met  the  old  hermit  of  Mt.  St.  EHas.  Ethel  needed  no 
introduction.  She  recognized  him  at  once  as  the 
gardener  who  introduced  her  to  D'lMars  in  the  garden. 
A  flood  of  retrospective  thought  came  over  her.  She 
remembered  having  met  him  in  the  gray  dawn  of  tra- 
dition. This,  of  course,  was  only  the  power  of  his 
mind  to  awaken  her  recollection. 

They  informed  the  hermit  of  their  marvelous  suc- 
cess and  happiness. 

"Yes,"  said  the  hermit,  "You  have  a  mission  to 
perform.  We  all  have.  There  is  unbounded  happi- 
ness in  store  for  you,  if  you  persevere.  But  your 
gold.     Beware  of  temptation.     Use  it  wisely." 

D'Mars  informed  the  hermit  of  Ethel's  desire  to 
visit  Venus. 

"By  all  means  go.  It  is  just  as  easy  to  make  the 
trip  to  Venus  as  to  Australia,  Mortals  fix  their  own 
limitations.  They  fear  that  they  cannot  do  things ; 
and  they  can't  because  of  the  fear.  Under  the  di- 
rection of  the  higher  Intelligence  the  mind  is  a  won- 
derful power." 

D'Mars  and  Ethel  considered  this  project  and 
the  words  of  the  hermit  the  following  day,  and  finally 
decided  to  attempt  the  trip  to  Venus.  They  never 
mentioned  their  intended  journey  to  their  friends,  a 
circumstance  that  turned  out  to  be  a  serious  mistake. 

After  comparing  their  watches  they  decided  to  go 
to  sleep  and  start  on  their  journey  at  12  o'clock  pre- 
cisely. Their  parting  that  evening  was  unusually 
tender.  What  if  one  should  make  the  trip  and  the 
other  remain.  Again  Venus  is  a  large  world.  They 
migtit  be  separated  and  not  meet  again  for  centuries. 
Ethel  laughed  at  these  faith-destroying  thoughts. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  263 

"It  is  nothing  more  than  what  we  term  dying,  and 
we  must  sometime  pass  over,"  she  said  reassuringly 
to  her  lover  as  she  threw  her  arms  about  his  neck  and 
rested  her  head  on  his  heaving  bosom.  He  kissed 
the  upturned  face  again  and  again  in  that  earthly  part- 
ing, which  might  be  for  years — ages— yes.  centuries. 
Who  could  tell  what  dream  w^ould  come  in  such  a 
sleep  as  they  had  prepared  for. 

Ethel  stood  on  the  veranda  and  watched  D'Mars' 
departure  as  he  walked  down  the  lawn.  He  waved 
her  a  kiss  as  he  entered  his  carriage  and  was  driven 
quickly  to  his  own  apartments.  Ethel  returned  to  her 
room.  It  was  ii  o'clock.  In  one  hour  they  were  to 
meet  in  Mecca,  millions  of  miles  away.  Long  and 
earnestly  she  prayed  to  Him,  who  could  guide  her  on 
such  an  unknown  journey.  Five  minutes  prior  to  the 
supreme  moment  she  retired  and  was  prepared  to  drop 
asleep  with  the  last  stroke  of  the  midnight  bell. 

D'Mars,  too,  carried  out  his  part  of  the  program. 
With  the  last  stroke  of  the  signal  he  was  sound  asleep. 
That  was  the  last  of  earth.  They  were  totally  un- 
prepared for  the  change  that  came  to  them. 

It  seemed  to  them  that  they  were  instantly  trans- 
ported to  some  tropical  clime  or  on  another  plane  of 
existence,  in  some  other  state  of  consciousness.  Yet 
their  new  state  did  not  differ  materially  from  that 
which  they  experienced  in  their  dream  tours  on  earth. 
They  noticed  that  mortal  life  now  seemed  mythical, 
away  back  in  some  distant  past.  They  had  no  dis- 
tinct recollection  of  earthly  life.  It  seemed  far  away, 
dteamy  and  unreal. 

They  found  themselves  in  a  strange  seaport,  sur- 
rounded by  a  vast  concourse  of  travelers,  and  broiled 
bv  intense  heat. 

To  the  right  and  to  the  left,  as  far  as  one  could 
see,  were  docks  and  vessels  in  the  slips.     The  multi- 


264  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

tude  of  travelers  was  a  study.  People  of  every  na- 
tion and  of  every  rank  and  grade  of  society  were 
there,  all  in  a  rush  and  a  scramble  to  get  away. 

The  king  in  his  robes  of  royalty  and  the  subject, 
the  prince  and  the  peasant,  the  millionaire  and  the 
pauper,  the  richly  gowned  society  woman  and  the 
domestic,  all  mingled  indiscriminately.  Many  seemed 
careworn  and  haggard.     Others  appeared  happy. 

The  boats  bound  for  ]\Iecca  were  on  the  right, 
and'  on  the  left  were  the  boats  for  Centropolis.  A 
plain  walk  through  a  lawn  in  which  bloomed  beauti- 
ful flowers  led  to  the  Mecca  boats.  They  were  large, 
substantial  boats  and  not  particularly  attractive.  There 
were  plenty  of  solicitors  for  the  Mecca  boats,  but  they 
offered  few  attractive  inducements.  Love,  happiness 
and  immortality  were  all  they  offered. 

A  magnificent  thoroughfare  led  to  the  Centropolis 
boats.  It  was  lined  on  either  side  with  handsome 
structures  and  attractive  signs.  Every  second  door 
opened  to  a  saloon  or  pool-room.  Candy  and  ice 
cream,  soda  water  and  lemonade  stands  intermingled 
with  the  brokers'  and  ticket  scalpers'  ofifices. 

Signs  on  rear  doors  indicated  the  "Ladies'  En- 
trance", and  further  to  the  rear  were  signs  of  im- 
mense mugs  of  beer,  "Two  for  a  nickel."  It  is  need- 
less to  say  that  a  constant  stream  of  the  rougher  and 
more  dissipated  classes  poured  in  and  out  of  these 
lower  sample  rooms.  The  more  pretentious  bar- 
rooms were  thronged  by  the  "better  classes."  Men  of 
all  ages  and  dressed  in  the  top  notch  of  fashion 
thronged  these  palaces  of  pleasure.  A  higher-toned 
class,  who  wore  silk  hats  and  carried  gold-headed 
canes,  walked  leisurely  to  the  Centropolis  boats,  giv- 
ing these  attractions  a  sneering  glace  as  they  passed. 

The  aristocrats  walked  with  measured  and  con- 
sequential   tread,    not    deigning    to    notice    anybody. 


B'MABS  AFFINITY.  265 

They  knew  where  they  were  going.  They  had  through 
tickets  and  baggage  transfers.  They  were  nearly  all 
headed  for  the -main  thoroughfare  to  the  docks  where 
lay  the  great  gilded  ocean  steamers  for  Centropolis. 

A  prominent  promoter  occupied  a  central  stand 
near  the  entrance  to  the  palatial  steamers.  He  told 
the  crowd  of  the  splendid  opportunities  for  business  at 
Centropolis,  a  city  of  25,000.000  population.  Plenty 
of  work  and  good  wages  for  2,000,000  or  more  work- 
ingmen.  The  fashionable  crowd  were  all  heading  that 
way,  followed  by  workingmen,  most  of  whom  thought 
of  nothing  but  a  job  and  wages. 

"Your  country  up  there  amounts  to  nothing,"  re- 
marked a  Centropolis  promoter  to  a  solicitor  fbr 
Venus,  who  was  talking  with  D'Mars  and  Ethel. 

"You  have  plenty  of  people  up  there,  but  no  en- 
terprise. There  is  not  one  millionaire  in  Mecca,  while 
we  have  thousands  of  them  in  Centropolis,  and  many 
billionaires.  We  have  all  sorts  of  amusements.  You 
can  see  a  prize-fight  every  day,  no  fakes,  the  real  thing. 
Every  taste  can  be  gratified.  Centropolis  is  the  place 
for  people  who  want  to  see  real  life,  and  make  money." 

"But  you  must  admit  that  our  edticational  system 
is  far  ahead  of  Pluto.  We  excel  you  In  music,  art  and 
poetry.  In  science  you  are  far  behind  us.  It  is  true 
you  have  vast  wealth  and  many  multi-millionaires,  but 
Centropolis  is  a  mountain  of  wealth,  surrounded  by 
an  ocean  of  destitution.  While  no  one  is  very  wealthy 
in  Venus,  no  one  is  poor.  Our  people  are  happy  and 
they  are  preparing  for  the  still  happier  land  beyond 
in  the  hereafter.  Besides  your  people  down  there,  that 
are  not  murdered,  die  under  three  score  years,  while 
the  people  of  Venus  live  from  200  to  300  years,"  re- 
plied the  Mecca  solicitor. 

"Your  hereafter  makes  us  weary,"  replied  the 
Centropolis   prom'oter.     "There   is   no   hereafter.     As 


266  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

for  living  200  or  300  years,  I  would  rather  live  20  or 
30  years  and  have  a  good  time.  Don't  you  see  that  all 
the  better  classes  take  our  boats."  , 

As  he  spoke,  two  women,  dressed  in  the  top 
notch  of  fashion,  passed.  They  were  speaking  French, 
evidently  from  Paris.  They  were  gazing  about  at  the 
crowd  and  moving  on  toward  the  Centropolis  boat. 

Two  young  men  stood  near  D'Mars  and  Ethel. 
They  were  well  dressed,  one  whose  face  bore  evidences 
of  dissipation,  remarked  to  his  companion,  a  very  re- 
spectable appearing  young  man,  "Did  you  catch  on  to 
that?" 

"No."  replied  his  companion. 

"Why,  that  one  with  the  white  plume  caught  my 
eye ;"  let  us  follow  them  aboard. 

His  companion  hesitated,  saying  he  had  not  yet 
made  up  his  mind. 

"Come  on.  Everybody  is  going  to  Centropolis," 
remarked  his  companion,  as  he  grabbed  his  arm  and 
started. 

"I  have  seen  enough,  let  us  go  aboard  the  Venus 
boat,"  said  Ethel. 

"Certainly,"  replied  D'Mars.  "I  have  been  to 
Centropolis  and  had  enough  of  it." 

Two  hours  later  D'Mars  and  Ethel  paced  the 
deck.  The  boat  had  started.  The  seaport  was 
rapidly  lost  in  the  hazy  distance.  It  was  an  ideal 
afternoon.  The  sun  was  approaching  the  horizon. 
The  azure  sky  imparted  its  tint  to  the  ocean.  While 
they  had  but  vague  recollection  of  the  past,  their  love 
was  now  stronger  than  ever.  Loverlike,  they  were 
oblivious  to  all  surroundings.  They  had  set  out  for 
Mecca.       Soon  they  would  reach    their    destination. 

"If  there  were  only  a  minister  aboard,  our  happi- 
ness could  be  completed,  sealed  now  and  here,"  re- 
marked D'Mars  as  he  glanced  about. 


B'MARS  AFFINITY.  267 

A<-  that  moment  a  portly  gentleman  approached 
them.  He  wore  clerical  robes.  "I  notice  that  you 
are  lovers  and  desire  the  services  of  a  clergyman," 
he  remarked. 

"We  need  such  service.  Are  you  a  clergyman?" 
asked  D'Mars,  with  a  glance  at  Ethel,  who  seemed 
overcome  by  excitement. 

"I  am,"  replied  the  clergyman.  "I  am  Father 
Dromgoole,  of  New  York,  in  the  world  known  here 
as  GrCaball." 

"New  York?"  replied  D'Mars,  with  a  questioning 
glance  at  Ethel.  "Seems  to  me  that  I  have  heard  the 
name.  It  comes  to  me  like  the  echo  of  a  broken 
dream." 

"I,  too,  have  some  recollection  of  New  York,  but 
I  never  heard  of  Graball,"  remarked  Ethel. 

"New  York  is  on  the  earth.  You  came  from  the 
earth.  But  the  earth  is  known  here  as  Graball,  be- 
cause of  the  disposition  of  earthly  people  to  grab 
everything  they  see.  Their  greed  aflfords  us  a  great 
deal  of  amusement  in  Venus,  but  they  gradually  out- 
grow it,"  replied  the  clerg}'man. 

"The  earth?"  repeated  D'Mars. 

"Yes.  The}^  call  it  the  world  in  Graball,"  re- 
plied the  derg}-man. 

"The  world.  The  earth,"  repeated  Ethel.  "I 
have  heard  those  names  before.  But  where?  It 
seems  like  a  dream. 

"They  come  to  me,  too.  But  it  is  all  vague 
and  indistinct.  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  we  lived  in 
a  previous  world  and  that  we  died  and  have  been  re- 
incarnated?" asked  D'Mars. 

"Never  mind.  You  are  not  sufficiently  advanced 
yet  to  discuss  those  problems.  I  know  exactly  how 
you  feel.  I  have  gone  through  it.  All  must.  We 
are   approaching  the   'River  of  Life.'     You   will  be 


268  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

sailing  in  it  tomorrow.  After  you  have  bathed  in  its 
refreshing  and  life-giving  v^aters,  much  of  your  past 
will  come  back  to  you.  The  important  thing  now  is 
that  you  be  married." 

"But  we  have  no  license,"  replied  D'Mars  with 
evident  anxiety.     "What  is  the  law  here?" 

"I  now  know  that  you  are  from  Graball.  Visitors 
from  the  most  lawless  worlds  are  always  very  techni- 
cal over  legal  formalities.  I  hold  a  license  to  officiate, 
issued  by  the  authorities  at  Mecca,  the  destination  of 
this  boat,  and  you  need  not  fear  that  any  New  York 
officials  will  ever  come  to  Mecca,  to  inquire  after  your 
license,"  said  the  reverend  gentleman,  with  a  smile. 

D'Mars  and  Ethel  decided  to  wed  at  once  and  the 
clergyman  went  down  to  the  cabin  to  make  arrange- 
ments for  the  ceremony. 

He  soon  returned  and  the  happy  couple  followed 
him  into  the  grand  cabin.  Hundreds  of  passengers 
were  present  and  the  band  played  the  wedding  march 
as  they  entered. 

It  was  a  solemn  moment  that,  when  the  lovers 
stood  before  the  sainted  clergyman  to  take  the  sacred 
vows  that  made  them  one  for  all  eternity. 

Father  Dromgoole  prefaced  the  ceremony  with  a 
few  words  of  instruction.  He  said  among  other 
things : 

"My  children,  you  are  fortunate.  You  have  been 
estranged  since  the  angels  rebelled.  Since  that  time 
you  have  wandered  in  darkness.  You  have  sinned 
and  suffered.  Ethel  has  remained  on  the  dark  planet 
during  countless  ages,  trying  to  save  you.  Salvation 
was  within  your  grasp,  scores  of  times,  but  you  turned 
back  upon  the  good  and  again  wandered  in  darkness. 
You  are  now  chiklren,  so  to  speak,  embarking  upon 
real  life.  This  vessel  is  about  to  enter  the  bay  of  love, 
into  which  flows  the  waters  of  the  river  of  life.     To- 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  269 

morrow  we  shall  be  ascending  the  river.  You  shall 
b'athe  in  its  sparkling  waters  which  renew  the  vigor 
of  youth,  to  those  whose  minds  are  right.  Should 
you  remain  here  you  can  never  be  too  thankful  that 
you  have  escaped  so  early  in  years  from  that  awful 
illusion,  that  frightful  dream  called  mortal  life  in 
Graball." 

He  then  joined  their  hands  and  pronounced  the 
words  that  united  them  forevermore, 

"Let  this  joining  of  hands  symbolize  the  meeting 
of  minds,  the  union  of  hearts,  the  harmony  of  souls, 
Let  the  flame  of  Love  burn  and  the  light  of  Truth 
shine  until  they  reach  all  the  dark  places  of  the  uni- 
verse. In  this  you  shall  find  the  heaven  you  seek,  and 
you  can  enlarge  it,  and  beautify  it,  and  intensify  it 
until  you  are  drawn  up  to  the  higher  and  more  ad- 
vanced worlds  where  joy  is  eternal." 

After  the  ceremony  D'Mars  and  Ethel  were  in- 
troduced to  the  master  and  officers  of  the  boat,  and 
they  soon  formed  the  acquaintance  of  many  pas- 
sengers. Ethel  visited  with  the  ladies  and  D'Mars,  in 
company  of  the  captain,  looked  through  the  vessel.  It 
was  one  of  the  finest  and  largest  on  the  ocean,  being 
850  feet  long,  80  feet  beam  and  having  a  capacity  for 
3,500  passengers,  and  speed  of  60  miles  per  hour.  It 
was  comfortably  filled,  more  than  one-half  the  pas- 
sengers being  children.  The  children's  department 
was  a  wonder  of  neatness  and  utility.  Every  child's 
wants  were  cared  for,  and  the  sanitary  arrangements 
were  perfect. 

"How  do  you  get  along  in  case  of  epidemic,  or 
even  severe  sickness?" 

"We  have  no  epidemic  and  rarely  any  sickness 
after  the  Children  are  bathed  in  the  river  of  life.  They 
are  worried  for  a  while  at  first  by  the  fears,  the  mortal 
mind  inherited  from^  parents,  but  they  soon  get  ove; 


270  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

that.  This  is  a  country  where  health  and  not  disease 
is  catching." 

Next  morning  D'Mars  and  Ethel  were  out  on 
deck  to  get  their  first  sight  of  the  shores  of  the  river 
of  life.  The  toat  was  about  200  miles  up  the  river, 
which  at  that  place  was  over  five  miles  across.  The 
sun  was  rising  and  the  disappearing  mists  revealed 
lowlands  overgrown  with  tall  seagrass.  Millions  of 
wild  geese  and  ducks  sailed  in  the  air.  Numerous 
hunters  in  boats  were  seen  near  the  river  banks  and 
way  ofif  in  the  bayous. 

Soon  they  sighted  the  rapids  which  appeared  like 
a  tempest-tossed  ocean.  The  boat  entered  the  locks 
and  was  quickly  elevated  50  feet.  The  river  narrowed 
to  about  four  miles  wide,  and  lofty  highlands  appeared 
in  the  distance.  The  boat  stopped  at  what  seemed  to 
be  a  watering  place.  The  passengers  all  disembarked 
in  the  most  perfect  order  and  filed  into  bath  houses 
that  would  accommodate  20,000  people.  All  came  out 
much  refreshed  and  appearing  many  years  younger. 
One  old  lady  who  was  stooped  with  age  and  rheuma- 
tism, came  out  of  the  bath  house  fresh  as  a  young 
lady  of  seventeen  years  of  age. 

After  bathing  in  the  waters  of  life  D'Mars  and 
Ethel  regained  their  memory.  They  remembered 
their  experiences  in  Graball,  but  such  was  the  soothing 
effects  of  the  water  of  life  that  they  suffered  no  worry. 
They  realized  the  nothingness  of  Graball,  and  their 
only  regret  was  that  all  their  friends  had'  not  accom- 
panied them 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  271 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

The:  Meeting  Beyond. 

The  city  of  Mecca  is  situated  on  the  east  bank  of 
the  river  at  the  mouth  and  on  either  side  of  the  River 
Hebron,  a  body  of  water  nearly  one  mile  wide.  The 
city  stands  upon  a  semi-circular  bay,  the  ground  be- 
ing from  75  to  150  feet  above  the  water,  with  still 
greater  elevation  as  it  extends  back  to  the  hills.  It 
contains  12,000,000  inhabitants,  and  every  street  and 
alley  is  paved  and  swept  daily,  while  the  business 
streets  are  picked  up  hourly  and  swept  and  flooded 
every  night. 

Ethel  and  D'Mars  quickly  located  Mrs.  Vanstine. 
She  held  a  leading  position  in  the  Conservatory  of  Art 
and  Music.  Her  residence  was  on  the  Grand  boule- 
vard, about  four  miles  from  the  river.  She  would  be 
home  at  4  o'clock  P.  M.  It  was  now  three.  In  one 
hour  Ethel  could  meet  her  mother  of  whom  she  had 
only  the  slightest  remembrance.  She  was  so  impatient 
that  she  could  scarcely  take  her  eyes  off  the  great  clock 
at  the  opposite  end  of  the  hall.  Further  investigations 
found  that  Mrs.  Rockwell  was  cashier  for  the  Central 
Oil  Works.  She  also  resided  on  Grand  boulevard, 
near  Mrs.  Vanstine. 

D'Mars  sought  through  the  directory  for  the 
names  of  prominent  business  men,  whom  he  had 
known  in  Graball  and  who  had  passed  over  some 
years  ago,  but  they  had  evidently  not  yet  arrived.  He 
located  many  acquaintances,  however,  and  remarked 
to  Ethel  that,  "We  will  soon  find  ourselves  at  home 
in  Mecca." 

The  clock  struck  four  and  Ethel  awaked  D'Mars 


272  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

from  his  interest  in  the  directory  by  remarking,  "Let 
us  go  now  and  not  keep  Mama  waiting." 

"Is  she  expecting  us?"  queried  D'Mars. 

"She  is,"  said  Ethel.  "I  was  with  her  last  night 
in  a  dream  and  told  her  we  were  coming  to-day." 

"Why  didn't  you  get  the  number  and  save  us  all 
this  work  locating  her,"  queried  D'Mars. 

"Never  mind,"  said  Ethel,  "you  are  always  ask- 
ing questions  that  nobody  can  answer.  Let  us  go 
now,  quick."  A  half  hour  later  they  reached  Mrs. 
Vanstine's  residence. 

Mrs.  Vanstine  opened  the  door.  For  a  moment 
both  she  and  Ethel  were  so  overcome  that  neither 
could  speak.  They  knew  one  another.  Each  was  the 
counterpart  of  the  other.  Mrs.  Vanstine  who,  accord- 
ing to  Graball,  time  ought  to  be  55  years,  looked  like 
a  well-preserved  woman  of  twenty,  while  Ethel  ap- 
peared no  older  than  a  school  girl  of  15,  and  D'Mars 
appeared  as  a  youth  of  17  or  18  years. 

"My  long,  lost  child,"  said  Mrs.  Vanstine,  as  she 
clasped  Ethel  in  her  arms  and  almost  carried  her  into 
the  spacious  parlor.  So  happy  were  mother  and 
daughter  that  they  cried  and  laughed  alternately. 
Ethel  introduced  D'Mars  and  he  too  was  fondly  em- 
braced by  his  handsome  mother-in-law. 

"And  how  is  our  dear  husband  and  father?"  said 
Mrs.  Vanstine. 

Ethel  shed  tears  as  she  replied  that  he  was  well, 
but  very  sad  and  lonely. 

"And  where  have  you  been,  Ethel,  since  the  nurse 
took  you  out  on  that  fatal  boat  ride  in  Graball?"  in- 
quired her  mother. 

Ethel  and  D'Mars  together  related  the  story  of 
her  camp  Hfe  in  Australia  and  rescue. 

"Can  you  play  and  sing?"  inquired  Mrs.  Van- 
stine. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  273 

Ethel  said  she  could  play  and  sing  in  Graball. 

Her  mother  led  her  to  the  grand  piano  and  the 
moment  Ethel  ran  her  fingers  over  the  keys  her  mother 
smilingly  remarked,  "You  can  play  and  I  am  so  anx- 
ious to  hear  you  sing;  I  know  you  can  sing.  Music 
has  been  an  inheritance  in  our  family." 

Ethel  felt  the  inspiration  and  sang  one  of  her 
■most  delightful  songs,  playing  the  accompaniment 
without  dropping  a  note. 

"Why  you  are  able  to  teach  in  the  Conservatory," 
exclamied  her  mother,  and  they  embraced  and  kissed 
again  and  again. 

"I  will  show  you  to  your  rooms.  I  had  them  all 
prepared,"  said  Mrs.  Vanstine,  as  she  led  the  way  to 
a  broad,  easy  stairway. 

"How  did  you  know  we  were  coming?"  inquired 
Ethel. 

"I  saw  you  both  in  a  vision  last  night  on  the  boat, 
and  I  talked  with  you,  Ethel,  and  you  told  me  you 
would  come  to  me  direct  when  the  boat  landed.  So 
you  see  I  am  not  surprised,"  replied  Mrs.  Vanstine. 
She  showed  D'Mars  to  their  room  and  then  accom- 
panied Ethel  to  hers,  where  mother  and  daughter  in- 
dulged in  one  of  those  long  mysterious  chats  which 
afford  women  so  much  consolation. 

While  the  children  were  making  their  toilets,  Mrs. 
Vanstine  'phoned  Mrs.  Rockwell  to  drop  in  on  her 
way  to  dinner,  as  she  had  a  surprise  for  her. 

They  were  all  in  the  reception  hall  when  Mrs. 
Rockwell  arrived.  She  was  overjoyed  to  meet  Edith's 
nearest  and  dearest  friend.  She  inquired  particularly 
after  Mr.  Rockwell,  and  was  highly  pleased  to  learn 
that  all  eiiforts  of  the  society  set  to  induce  him  to  wed 
again  had  failed.  Since  his  conversion  he  would  not 
think  of  such  folly.  She  inquired  specially  concern- 
ing the  engagement  of  Edith  and  Horace  and  was 


274  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

deeply  interested  in  the  scene  at  the  cottage  of  the 
old  hermit  Gervino. 

"It  is  now  time  for  dinner,"  said  Mrs.  Vanstine, 
as  the  clock  pointed  6  P.  M. 

Ethel  and  D'Mars  felt  some  curiosity  on  that 
score  as  they  saw  no  servants  or  any  sort  of  prepara- 
tion for  the  evening  meal,  but  they  awaited  develop- 
ments. 

Mrs.  Vanstine  led  the  way.  They  walked  along 
the  boulevard  two  squares  and  turned  one  square  to 
the  left.  There  they  found  an  extensive  and  artistic 
building  surrounded  by  beautiful  grounds  and  walks 
amid  flowers  and  shrubbery.  They  entered  a  spacious 
reception  room  provided  with  hat-racks  and  hooks  and 
shelves.  The  tile  floors  were  neat  and  clean,  the  walls 
elegantly  decorated  far  beyond  the  standard  of  the 
finest  Graball  hotels. 

The  main  dining  hall  was  of  a  rectangular  oc- 
tagon, shape  about  200  by  400  feet.  A  flood  of  amber 
light  poured  down  through  stained  glass.  At  the 
right  was  the  service  department,  and  on  the  left  were 
open  casements  that  looked  out  upon  a  beautiful  con- 
servatory. There  were  a  number  of  smaller  dining 
rooms  for  parties,  families  and  children.  Rare  pannel 
paintings  decorated  the  walls.  The  tables  varied  in 
size  and  each  was  provided  with  vases  of  fragrant 
flowers. 

The  dinner  was  served  table  de  bote,  and  was  a 
most  delicious  repast.  In  response  to  inquiries  Mrs. 
Vanstine  explained  that  it  was  a  family  restaurant  con- 
ducted on  the  co-operative  plan,  for  convenience  as 
well  as  economy.  All  that  the  market  affords  is  served. 
The  cooking  is  done  under  the  supervision  of  gradu- 
ates from  the  culinary  academy.  The  food  is  pur- 
chased and  delivered  in  large  quantities,  and  a  saving 
effected. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  275 

What  impressed  D'Mars  and  Ethel  more  than 
anything  else  was  the  fresh,  cheerful  and  youthful 
appearance  of  the  people,  and  the  culture  and  the  good 
behavior  of  the  children.  There  were  hundreds  in 
the  dining  room.  All  ages  and  conditions  were  there. 
All  were  neatly  dressed.  No  loud  or  boisterous  talk. 
No  fault-finding.  No  horse-laugh.  Yet  all  were 
happy  and  smiling.  No  knives  or  spoons  or  side  dishes 
were  dropped  by  the  waiters,  who  all  seemed  to  be 
mere  children.  No  babies  cried  or  pouted.  All 
seemed  to  be  happy  and  at  peace  with  themselves  and 
the  balance  of  mankind. 

"Are  there  no  old  people  here?"  inquired  D'Mars. 

"Oh,  yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Rockwell.  "There  at 
that  third  table  is  an  old  couple  and  their  children  and 
great-grand  children.  That  man  at  the  head  of  the 
table  is  175  years  old,  and  at  his  right  is  his  wife,  the 
same  age.  At  his  left  is  his  son,  about  150  years  of 
age,  and  his  wife  sitting  next  to  him  is  not  much 
younger.  The  others  grade  do^^m  in  years  to  that  lit- 
tle curly-headed  boy,  who  is  about  five  years.  That 
girl  who  waits  on  this  table  is  a  great  grand-child  of 
the  old  man.  She  seems  to  be  about  twelve  years  old, 
but  she  is  really  nineteen." 

"Row  do  you  account  for  such  longevity?"  in- 
quired D'Mars. 

"Absence  of  worry  and  the  strict  observance  of 
the  laws  of  nature,  as  far  as  we  understand  them,"  said 
Mrs.  Vanstine. 

"But  even  the  children  are  under  such  complete 
control,"  observed  Ethel. 

"Certainly,"  replied  Mrs.  Vanstine.  "The  child 
mind  is  under  the  control  of  the  parents'  mind.  That 
control  begins  one  hundred  years  before  they  are  born. 
The  child  inherits  the  parents'  mind,  especially  the 
mother's.    All  gifts  and  tallents,  even  personal  appear- 


276  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

ance,  beauty  or  otherwise,  can  be  conferred  by  moth- 
ers on  children  in  Graball  as  well  as  here. 

"We  have  considerable  trouble  at  first  with  the 
children  from  Gralball.  They  come  here  impressed 
with  all  sorts  of  fears ;  they  are  afraid  to  go  into  a 
dark  room  or  to  be  alone.  They  exhibit  selfishness 
and  ever  try  to  tease  and  worry  their  playmates,  and 
they  imagine  all  sorts  of  sickness.  But  they  outgrow 
this  evil  inheritance  from  parents. 

"The  influence  of  the  minds  of  our  childrtn  over 
the  new  arrivals  is  wonderful.  Boys  who  come  here 
with  a  disposition  to  throw  stones  at  rabbits  and  birds, 
and  to  displace  things  and  cause  trouble,  quickly  out- 
grow this  original  sin  and  become  quite  civilized." 

A  very  pleasant  evening  was  spent  at  Mrs.  Van- 
stine's  cottage,  during  which  she  and  Mrs.  Rockwell 
initiated  the  new  comers  into  many  of  the  ways  and 
customs  of  Ed'en.  Mrs,  Vanstine  'phoned  to  Professor 
Colston  and  wife  of  the  arrival  of  her  daughter  and 
son-in-law,  who  knew  his  son  Horace  in  Graball. 
They  came  over  and  were  delighted  to  meet  D'Mars 
and  Ethel  and  hear  directly  from  Horace  and  other 
old  friends  in  Graball. 


B'MABS  AFFINITY.  277 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Trip  to  Mercury. 

Next  day  the  party  went  out  sightseeing.  After 
a  ride  of  thirty  or  forty  miles  through  magnificent 
boulevards  and  parks,  lined  on  all  sides  with  palatial 
homes,  they  reached  an  eminence  from  which  they 
could  view  the  entire  city,  which  extended  some  thirty 
miles  up  and  down  each  side  of  the  river  of  life,  and 
was  entirely  free  from  smoke ;  all  power  and  heat  be- 
ing supplied  by  electricity.  Scores  of  magnificent 
parks,  varying  from  one  square  to  hundreds  and  even 
thousands  of  acres  gave  the  city  a  restful  and  rural 
appearance. 

"Where  is  the  business  center  ?"  inquired  D'Mars, 
for  he  noted  the  absence  of  sky  scrapers  and  the  con- 
gestion of  traffic  expected  in  a  city  of  twelve  millions 
population. 

"There  are  at  least  a  dozen  business  centers,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Colston.  "Do  you  see  those  large  struc- 
tures, that  remind  one  of  the  World's  Fair  buildings 
in  Graball  ?  They  are  the  people's  co-operative  stores. 
Some  of  them  occupy  ten  or  fifteen  acres  of  ground. 
All  Mecca  is  supplied  from  those  stores." 

"This  is  what  they  told  us  in  Graball  could  not 
be  done,"  remarked  Ethel 

"You  observe  those  immense  structures  along  the 
river  and  extending  back  a  mile  or  two,  in  some 
places,"  remarked  Mr.  Colston.  "Those  are  shops, 
factories,  warehouses  and  railway  depots.  They,  as 
well  as  all  the  railways,  lighting  and  heating,  telegraph 
and  telephone  plants,  are  owned  by  the  people  on  the 
co-operative  plan.  All  the  employees  are  stockholders 
and  are  their  own  employers  and  capitalists." 

"This,  too,  thev  claim  in  Graball  should  not  be 


278  D'MABS  AFFINITY, 

done,  as  it  would  become  a  dangerous  political  ma- 
chine," remarked  D'Mars. 

"Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Colston,  "The  trouble  with 
the  favored  classes  who  manufacture  public  opinion  in 
Graball,  is  that  they  always  imagine  that  the  new  so- 
cial and  industrial  structure  will  rest  upon  the  old  com- 
petitive, greedy  and  selfish  foundation  and  that  the 
same  old  monopolists  of  natural  opportunity  and  ex- 
ploiters of  labor  will  be  in  control." 

"But  is  it  not  a  fact  that  you  often  see  a  lively 
scramble  for  control,  in  the  selection  of  officers  for 
the  management  of  such  vast  enterprises?"  inquired 
D'Mars. 

"Not  at  all,"  replied  Mr.  Colston.  "Changes  are 
seldom  made  in  management  except  when  managers 
resign  to  go  higher.  There  is  no  electioneering.  No 
man  ever  thinks  of  promising  or  giving  a  position  to 
another  in  return  for  support.  Those  positions  go 
by  general  consent  to  men  of  known  capabilitiy  and 
especially  to  those  who  have  distinguished  themselves 
in  the  service  of  the  people.  Another  thing  too  might 
be  mentioned.  Five  out  of  every  six  of  those  who 
work  in  the  shops  are  quite  as  capable  of  managing 
the  business  as  is  the  manager  in  charge.  Truth,  love 
and  unselfishness  are  the  chief  business  qualifications 
desired,  and  in  these  one  man  is  quite  as  proficient 
as  another.  It  is  the  manipulation  of  selfish,  monopo- 
listic, competitive  schemes,  by  the  few  to  plunder  the 
many,  that  requires  the  highly  skilled  management 
needed  in  Graball." 

"Notwithstanding  all  that,"  said  D'Mars,"!  should 
think  there  would  be  a  lively  scramble  for  good  jobs." 

"Good  jobs  are  too  plentiful.  A  million  men  could 
find  good  jobs  tomorrow  in  Mecca.  And  outside  of 
Mecca,  5,000,000  men  could  find  profitable  employ- 
ment any  day,"  replied  Mr.  Colston. 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  279 

On  theif  return  they  passed  through  one  of  the 
chief  residence  locaHties.  It  was  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
factory  district.  There  resided  chiefly,  the  operatives 
of  the  great  manufacturing  estabHshments.  The  streets 
were  wide  and  as  well  kept  as  the  finest  avenues.  The 
dwellings  were  large  and  roomy,  and  the  lawns  beauti- 
fully laid  out  with  shrubs  and  flowers.  The  family 
restaurant  plan  was  a  prominent  feature  of  all  these 
localities. 

"Do  all  these  factory  operatives  own  their  homes?" 
inquired  D'AIars. 

"Invariably,"  replied  Mr.  Colston.  "To  not  own 
a  home  is  considered  a  disgrace  in  Eden,  inasmuch 
as  homes  are  so  inexpensive  and  any  young  man  can 
save  enough  to  build  a  home  long  before  he  reaches 
his  twenty-first  year." 

One  was  forcibly  impressed  with  the  picturesque 
beauty  of  the  homes.  They  were  chiefly  seven  to 
eight  or  nine  room  structures  and  scarcely  two  of  the 
same  style  of  architecture.  And  the  inside  decorations 
were  quite  as  varied  as  the  exterior.  D'IMars  expressed 
surprise  at  the  beauty  and  variety  of  the  architecture. 

"You  have  practically  seen  nothing  yet,"  said  Mr. 
Colston.  "Wait  until  you  go  through  our  public  build- 
ings and  co-operative  stores  and  art  galleries.  The 
thriftiest  men  and  women  in  Mecca,  are  the  artists, 
architects  and  inventors." 

They  now  arrived  at  one  of  the  immense  co- 
operative stores,  and  concluded  to  stop  for  dinner. 
Hthel  was  anxious  to  see  these  mammoth  concerns. 
She  was  familiar  with  the  largest  department  stores 
in  New  York  and  Paris,  but  was  be^^'ildered  when 
she  saw  so  perfect  a  plan  for  distribution. 

The  site  for  this  establishment  embraced  twenty 
acres  of  ground.  The  main  building  was  four  hund- 
red bv  six  hundred  feet  and  six  stories  high.     It  was 


280  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

surrounded  by  beautiful  shade  trees,  flowers  and  rustic 
seats.  There  were  twelve  basement  entrances  and 
exits  for  delivery  and  carriages.  The  system  of  put- 
ting up  and  delivering  parcels  was  so  complete  that 
each  parcel  promptly  reached  the  proper  delivery 
within  a  few  minutes  after  purchase  and  generally 
reached  its  destination  before  the  purchaser  arrived 
home. 

The  manager  gave  Mr.  D'Mars  much  valuable 
information,  but  space  will  permit  only  the  briefest 
condensation.    He  said : 

"The  12,000,000  people  of  Mecca,  are  supplied 
from  twenty-four  of  these  stores. 

"They  are  all  owned  by  the  consumers,  each 
holding  from  twenty  to  sixty  shares  of  the  value 
of  one  dollar  each.  That  places  an  average  of  $200 
in  each  family,  and  gives  us  $480,000,000  capital. 

"Our  profit  averages  $50  on  each  family,  $120,- 
000,000. 

"Of  this  we  distribute  $40,000,000  as  dividends 
on  stock,  $60,000,000  to  purchasers  prorated  on  their 
purchases  and  $20,000,000  we  put  in  the  surplus  fund 
for  betterments.  When  this  fund  exceeds  $50,000,000 
we  distribute  the  surplus  among  purchasers  prorated 
on  their  purchases. 

"The  manufacturing  establishments  are  also  all 
conducted  on  the  co-operative  plan.  The  employees 
own  them  on  an  equitable  share  basis  and  take  all  the 
profits.  A  certain  salary  is  fixed  for  employees,  based 
upon  their  ability.  They  draw  that  monthly.  It 
covers  all  necessary  living  expenses.  At  the  end  of 
each  year  the  net  profits  are  divided  as  dividends  on 
their  shares  capital.  These  profit  dividends  are  some- 
times large.  I  know  factories  where  employees  aver- 
^§"6  $750  a  year  dividends." 

The   party   visited   one   of   the   leading   theaters 


B'MABS  AFFINITY.  281 

that  evening.  It  was  a  magnificent  structure,  having 
capacity  for  io,ooo  people,  Ethel  was  astonished  to 
see  such  a  cultured  and  artistically  dressed  assemblage 
The  striking  feature  was  that  all  were  well  dressed 
and  no  one  over-dressed.  The  ladies  and  gentlemen 
in  the  galleries  were  as  elaborately  dressed  as  those  in 
the  private  boxes.  The  apparel  was  rich  and  substan- 
tial without  any  attempt  at  gaudy  display  or  anatomical 
demonstration. 

"This  seems  to  be  an  average  audience ;  which  does 
it  represent,  the  higher,  lower  or  middle  classes?"  in- 
quired D'Mars. 

"There  is  only  one  class  here,"  replied  Mr.  Cols- 
ton. "The  great  majority  of  these  people  are  from 
the  shops  and  factories.  Their  average  annual  income 
varies  from  $25  to  $40  per  week.  There  are  also  here 
people  distinguished  in  the  arts  and  sciences,  great 
inventors  and  superintendents.  I  see  men  here  with 
their  families  who  have  an  annual  income  of  from 
$100  to  $500  per  week.  They  are  scattered  about  in 
the  audience,  but  you  would  never  be  able  to  recognize 
their  affluence  through  the  gowns,  hats  and  jewels 
worn  by  their  wives  and  daughters.  It  is  considered 
not  only  bad  taste,  but  vulgarity  here  for  the  rich  to 
dress  or  entertain  more  lavishly  than  the  poorest  can 

afford." 

D'Mars  and  Prof.  Colston  called  at  the  chief 
office  of  the  Board  of  Education  and  met  Supt.  Over- 
ton who  briefly  outlined  the  governmental  and  educat- 
ional system. 

"Our  educational  system  is  the  basis  of  all  our 
success,  our  harmony  and  our  happiness,"  said  Supt. 
Overton. 

"Our  schools  and  colleges  are  all  free,  and  every- 
one you  meet  here  is  educated  and  qualified  to  fill  al- 
most any  position  requiring  s':ientific  knoAvledge. 


282  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"We  first  teach  morality  and  base  our  code  of 
morals  in  the  gospel  which  the  Messiah  taught  long 
ago  in  Graball,  and  in  all  the  other  fallen  worlds.  The 
moral  character  of  the  boy  or  girl  is  built  up  day  by 
day  as  the  mind  and  the  physical  nature  are  developed. 
The  children  are  first  taught  that  mind  controls  mat- 
ter; that  there  can  be  no  sin  or  suffering  or  disease 
unless  the  will  consents  to  it.  They  are  taught  that 
fear  and  worry  and  selfishness  and  envy  and  a  desire 
to  annoy  and  disturb  others  must  never  be  permitted 
to  enter  the  mind.  Instead  of  these  degrading  vices, 
truth,  love,  harmony,  and  kindness  must  be  cultivated. 
In  fine  they  are  taught  that  all  happiness  consists  in 
making  others  happy,  and  that  all  suffering  is  caused 
by  making  others  suffer. 

"With  this  basis  to  start  on  education  is  easy.  We 
have  one  language  in  Venus.  Everybody  speaks  it. 
Children  learn  it  at  home.  We  do  not  spend  the  valu- 
able time  of  youth  studying  a  batch  of  useless  lan- 
guages, as  in  the  fallen  worlds.  We  also  cultivate  art, 
music,  rhetoric,  and  the  like.  We  then  teach  the  co- 
operative, industrial  and  governmental  system.  It 
is  all  one.  People  who  are  not  sufficiently  intelligent 
and  honest  to  co-operate  in  these  every  day  affairs  are 
unable  to  conduct  an  honest,  intelligent  government 
in  the  interest  of  all.  Later  on,  we  take  up  applied 
science.  Mathematics,  sociology,  mental  philosophy 
and  the  like.  In  the  manual  training  department  the 
students  have  an  opportunity  to  decide  the  calling  for 
which  they  are  adapted." 

"You  no  doubt  find  many  who  want  to  enter  the 
learned  pro'fessions,"  suggested  D'Mars. 

"We  do,"  replied  Prof.  Overton  with  a  smile, 
"and  they  are  all  accommodated.  Every  occupation 
in  Venus  is  a  learned  profession.  What  you  term  the 
learned  professions  in  Graball  are  unknown  here.    We 


B'MARS  AFFINITY.  283 

need  no  lawyers.  Everyone  is  his  own  lawyer.  We 
have  no  doctors.  No  need  of  them.  We  have  no 
wrangling  denominational  chnrch  institutions,  but  we 
have  plenty  of  houses  of  worship  where  devout  men 
and  women  instruct  and  edify  the  people.  These  are 
supported  by  voluntary  contribution.  You  would 
never  hear  m-one}'  for  the  support  of  the  church  men- 
tioned in  our  temples  of  devotion.  We  have  no  poli- 
ticians or  party  machines  to  boss  and  corrupt  us. 

"We  have  no  policemen,  no  detectives,  no  crim- 
inal courts,  no  penal  institutions,  no  infirmaries,  no 
criminals.  When  the  great  public  mind  is  right,  all  is 
right.  Nobody  uses  narcotics,  tobacco,  cofifee,  or 
opium.  You  would  not  find  a  saloon  where  intoxi- 
cants are  sold  over  a  bar  in  all  Eden.  We  have  no 
prohibatory  law  either.  Men  have  come  up  here  from 
Centropolis  and  opened  saloons,  but  they  soon  left. 
They  had  no  customers.  The  mind  don't  seek  stimu- 
lants and  what  the  mind  don't  seek  the  body  don't 
crave  or  need." 

Late  that  night  D'Mars  and  Ethel  sat  by  the  open 
window  and  recounted  their  wonderful  experience 
since  they  left  Graball.  The  planet  Mercury  was  in 
full  view.  It  appeared  larger  and  brighter  from  Venus, 
than  from  Graball,  probably  owing  to  the  transparency 
of  the  atmosphere  and  the  keener  vision  of  more  per- 
fect ey€S. 

"I  wish  we  were  in  Mercury,"  remarked  D'Mars. 
"I  too,"  said  Ethel.  Immediately  they  experienced 
a  slight  shock  and  a  sensation  of  moving  through  the 
ether.  They  were  on  their  way  to  another  world  and 
not  in  the  least  alarmed.  Ethel  had  not  even  said  a 
parting  word  to  her  mother;  yet,  with  the  strange 
perversity  of  dreams,  she  had  no  misgivings.  To 
thus  pass  on  seemed  the  natural  thing  to  do.  Mer- 
cury grew  larger  to  their  vision.    The  atmosphere  be- 


284  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

came  warmer.  Soon  the  mountains  and  oceans,  rivers 
and  valleys  appeared.  The  scene  changed.  They 
were  in  some  sort  of  a  great  air  ship  with  many  passen- 
gers— men  and  women,  who  were  exceedingly  beauti- 
ful ;  even  their  clothing  was  finer  and  more  artistically 
fitted  than  the  apparel  worn  in  Venus. 

Glancing  in  one  of  the  elegant  plate  glass  mirrors 
they  noticed  that  they  too  had  become  assimilated  with 
the  other  tourists  in  personal  appearance  and  in  dress. 
What  to  the  ordinary  mortal  would  be  a  strange  and 
startling  experience,  was  now  to  them  perfectly  natu- 
ral. They  had  placed  their  reliance  in  the  higher 
power,  and  ceased  to  worry. 

Conversation  was  general  among  the  passengers. 
None  assumed  an  air  of  superiority  or  exclusiveness. 
Introductions  seemed  to  be  unnecessary. 

"Where  is  our  destination?"  inquired  D'Mars  of 
a  pleasant  appearing  gentleman  who  sat  near. 

"Pindarus,"  replied  the  gentleman  and  with  a 
polite  and  pleasing  look  he  remarked:  "You  are  new 
arrivals  in  Mercury,  I  presume?" 

"We  are,  just  left  Venus  a  short  time  ago,"  ans- 
wered D'Mars. 

"Yes,  new  arrivals  all  go  to  Pindarus  by  way  of 
these  air  ships.  They  usually  sail  around  Mercury  a 
few  times  before  alighting.  Thus  they  become  accli- 
mated to  what  many  regard  intense  heat." 

Then  Mercury  is  much  warmer  than  Venus," 
remarked  Ethel. 

"About  as  many  degrees  warmer  as  Venus  is 
above  Graball  in  temperature,"  replied  the  gentleman. 

"How  long  since  you  left  Graball?"  inquired 
the  gentleman. 

"Only  a  day  or  two,"  replied  D'Mars. 

"You  are  making  very  rapid  progress." 

"Were  you  ever  in  Graball?"  inquired  D'Mars. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  285 

"Oh,  yes.  It  was  a  long  time  ago ;  about  800 
years. 

"Been  here  ever  since?" 

"O,  no.  I  came  here  as  you  did.  After  some 
years  of  study  in  the  University  of  Pindarus,  I 
traveled   extensively   through    the    lower   borderlands 

The  afternoon  was  delightful.  The  ship  passed 
through  a  cloudless  atmosphere.  It  seemed  to  stand 
in  one  spot  while  the  magnificent  panorama  of  nature 
rapidly  unfolded  and  revealed  new  beauties  and  attrac- 
tions. With  the  aid  of  field  glasses,  our  visitors  were 
able  to  see  a  wide  area  of  land.  So  dense  was  the  pop- 
ulation that  it  seemed  to  be  one  vast  expanse  of  cities 
and  villages. 

"What  is  the  population  of  Mercury?"  inquired 
D'Mars. 

"About  8,000,000.000,"  replied  a  tourist. 

"Eight  billions !"  repeated  D'Mars.  "Four  times 
the  population  of  Graball,  and  Mercury  is  a  smaller 
world.     How  do  they  all  manage  to  live?" 

"They  live  and  have  abundance  to  spare.  The 
natural  means  of  existence  would  sustain  double  the 
present  population." 

"The  soil  must  be  extremely  productive,"  re- 
marked D'Mars. 

"Not  more  so  than  the  soil  of  Graball.  It  would 
easily  support  ten  times  its  present  population." 

"And  some  economists  claim  that  there  are  too 
many  people  in  Graball  now,"  remarked  Ethel. 

"There  are  too  many  of  the  kind.  When  we  con- 
sider the  selfishness,  waste,  and  general  evil  that  dom- 
inates Graball,  we  wonder  that  they  get  on  as  well  as 
they  do,"  remarked  one  of  the  passengers. 

Pindarus  was  now  anonnced.  Everybody  looked 
out.  The  great  university  and  observatory  loomed  up 
in  the  distance.    The  speed  of  the  car  was  reduced  to 


286  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

about  fifty  miles  per  hour  as  it  entered  the  corporation. 
Over  the  center  of  the  city,  anchored  about  one-half 
mile  high  was  the  signal  station  and  office  of  the  direct- 
or of  transportation.  Cars  were  coming  in  from  all 
directions.  Various  lights  were  exposed  to  give  notice 
that  the  way  was  clear  or  otherwise.  Without  the 
slightest  jar  the  ponderous  car  perched  upon  the  roof 
braces  of  the  "Alpha,"  a  superb  sixty  story  hotel,  said 
to  be  one  of  the  largest  in  Murcury  except  the  Pluvius 
at  one  of  the  chief  summer  resorts. 

D'Mars  and  Ethel  were  assigned  an  elegant  room, 
but  before  accepting  it,  D'Mars  frankly  informed  the 
clerk  that  he  was  a  stranger  in  Pindarus  and  "dead 
broke." 

"You  need  no  money  here,"  said  the  clerk.  Ev- 
erything was  made  free  here  seventy-five  thousand 
years  ago.  You  have  not  traveled  much  in  the  immior- 
tal  world  have  you?"  he  added. 

"Our  first  trip,"  remarked  D'Mars.  "Just  ar- 
rived this  morning." 

"All  the  immortal  worlds  are  conducted  on  the 
co-operative  plan.  We  do  business  here  for  amuse- 
ment. People  grow  so  weary  of  traveling,  hunting, 
fishing,  and  sight-seeing  that  they  are  delighted  to  get 
a  chance  to  work  awhile  now  and  then  for  a  change. 
Down  in  the  factory  district  there  are  so  many  appli- 
cations for  positions  that  men  are  permitted  to  work 
only  for  a  few  hours  per  day  and  only  three  days  in 
the  week." 

"How  much  wages  do  they  draw?"  inquired 
D'Mars. 

"None,"  replied  the  clerk  with  a  smile.  They  have 
no  use  for  money.  You  can  go  to  the  finest  stores  in 
the  city  and  buy  anything  you  desire  and  have  it  de- 
livered free  of  cost." 

"Confound  it/'    said  D'Mars.     "If    I    had    only 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  287 

known  that  I  would  have  ordered  luncheon  on  the 
ship  as  we  came  over." 

The  clerk  laughed  heartily  as  he  remarked,  "vis- 
itors from  Craball,  Venus,  Jupiter,  Saturn  and  all  other 
fallen  worlds  make  such  mistakes  frequently  when  they 
first  come  here.  After  they  learn  our  customs,  they 
frequently  take  things  they  don't  need.  When  we  see 
a  traveler  carrying  a  satchel,  we  say,  "He  is  from 
Graball ;  just  a  sort  of  standing  joke  among  the  boys, 
you  know." 

When  D'Mars  informed  Ethel  of  this  custom  she 
was  delighted,  and  remarked,  "Did  you  notice  the  style 
of  the  ladies  in  the  car  ?  I  shall  get  something  becom- 
ing tomorrow  and  you  too  might  get  a  stylish  suit. 
Did  you  observe  the  suits  those  gentlemen  wore?  I 
noticed  the  goods  particularly,  never  saw  anything  so- 
rich  and  the  cut  was  perfectly  swell." 

At  this  juncture  the  phone  rang.  It  was  the  hotel 
clerk.  He  informed  D'Mars  that  he  had  taken  tlie  lib- 
erty of  sending  up  a  bottle  of  nectar ;  that  it  was  usual- 
ly drank  by  the  guests  just  tefore  dinner  as  an  appe- 
tizer. "You  will  see  the  directions  and  buttons  in 
the  vestibule.  Don't  hesitate  to  order  anything  you 
desire." 

"What  would  the  'smart  set'  say  to  this  program," 
remarked  D'Mars. 

"Why,  were  we  to  tell  them  of  it,  they  wouI3  say; 
we  had  been  dreaming." 

Looking  about  the  room  they  quickly  found  the 
call  plate  provided  with  a  number  of  gold  buttons  and 
directions.  These  were  the  calls  for  refreshments, 
newspapers,  baths,  dressing  gowns,  slippers,  anything 
desired. 

"Isn't  that  nice,"  said  Ethel.  "I  never  thought  of 
it,  that  we  have  no  dressing  gowns.  Wonder  where 
the  bath  room  is?     I  will  touch  the  button." 


288  D'MAIiS  AFFINITY. 

Almost  instantly  a  porter  appeared  at  the  door. 
He  was  a  fine  appearing  young  man  dressed  in  livery 
of  gray  and  dark. 

"This  way,"  he  said,  as  he  led  to  an  elevator. 
"There  is  the  ladies'  bath,"  he  said,  as  he  passed  Ethel 
into  a  magnificent  reception  room  and  conducted 
D'Mars  to  another  reception  room  further  on. 

"I  never  saw  anything  like  it,"  said  Ethel  when 
they  returned  to  their  rooms. 

"I  either."  said  D'Mars. 

"They  have  seven  different  sorts  of  bath  and  ev- 
ery one  has  a  whole  room  to  herself." 

"The  same  on  our  side." 

"And  then  the  attendants.  They  do  everything  so 
nicely.    What  kind  of  a  bath  did  you  take?" 

"It  was  something  like  a  Turkish  bath  to  begin 
with  and  I  finished  up  with  a  plunge  in  rosewater,  after 
which  I  took  the  ambrosial  spray,  and  the  electric  de- 
sert," replied  D'Mars. 

"I  took  the  same  with  the  addition  of  the  ename- 
line  nectar.  It  makes  one  feel  like  a  newly  created  be- 
ing. To  think  of  it  that  poor  Edith  is  away  in  Gra- 
ball.  How  she  would  have  enjoyed  this  trip,"  remarked 
Ethel. 

It  was  now  the  dinner  hour  and  D'Mars  touched 
the  button.  The  same  porter  came  and  conducted  them 
to  one  of  the  seven  immense  and  gorgeous  dining 
rooms  on  the  highest  floor.  Space  will  not  permit  a  de- 
tail description  of  either  the  decorations,  furniture, 
service  or  the  food.  The  mosaic  floors  and  artistic 
panel  paintings;  the  stained  glass  windows,  and  the 
arched  and  gilded  ceilings  from  which  flowed  an  ef- 
fulgence of  soft  and  varied  lights ;  the  highly  em- 
broidered table  linen  and  solid  gold,  silver  and  painted 
china  ware;  the  wealth  of  rare  flowers  and  plants 
whose  fresh  and  succulent  frondage  suggested  indigen- 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  289 

iety;  all  bespoke  a  land  of  the  highest  civilization  and 
enlightenment.  The  food  was  served  table  d'hote  and 
every  morsal  was  an  appetizer,  but  it  was  noticed  that 
all  ate  and  drank  sparingly. 

Some  merely  tasted  o£  the  delicacies  which  were 
served  in  abundance.  Strains  of  the  most  delicious 
and  enrapturing  music  floated  on  the  evening  breezes 
in  through  the  open  casements.  Everyone  before  eat- 
ing askd  a  blessing  and  after  the  meal  returned  thanks. 
All  seemed  reverently  impressed  with  the  thought  that 
they  owed  everything  to  the  One  omnipotent  Source 
of  all  Good.  There  was  none  of  the  arrogance  and 
assumption,  the  posing  and  facial  expression,  hauteur 
or  curve  of  the  lip  or  any  of  the  other  insignia  of 
pride  and  ignorance  so  common  about  the  swell  hotels 
of  Graball,  Centropolis  or  Multo. 

Next  day  D'Mars  and  Ethel  visited  one  of  the 
mammoth  outfitting  emporiums  and  arrayed  themselves 
in  the  latest  and  finest  traveling  suits.  The  salesman 
urged  them  to  take  a  second  suit,  remarking  that  the 
costumes  of  Pindarus  were  admired  throughout  the 
universe. 

"How  long  have  you  worked  here?"  enquired 
Ethel  of  a  comely  saleslady  who  had  taken  special  pains 
to  fit  her  in  a  very  becoming  hat  and  neck  scarf. 

"About  one  year,"  replied  the  young  lady.  "I 
left  Graball  twenty-seven  years  ago.  Stopped  fifteen 
years  in  Venus  and  I  have  been  in  the  immortal  worlds 
twelve  years." 

"What  have  you  been  doing  since  you  came  her  ?" 

"I  first  studied  in  the  university  one  year.  Then 
I  traveled  ten  years.  You  see  one  can't  do  much  here 
until  she  lears  something." 

"Where  did  you  reside  in  Graball?" 

"I  was  a  carpet  weaver  at  Lowell.     My  husband 


290  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

also  worked  In  the  carpet  factory.  He  and  our  two 
boys  and  three  girls  still  live  there." 

"What  was  your  age  when  you  left  Lowell?" 

"I  was  thirty-four  and  weary  of  life.  Of  course, 
I  felt  awful  when  I  had  to  part  with  my  children  and 
husband.  It  makes  me  sad  even  here  to  think  of  that 
existence.  My  husband  worked  hard  and  I  worked 
when  I  could  in  the  factory.  We  were  trying  to  earn 
money  to  pay  for  a  little  home,  but  the  panic  came ;  the 
factory  shut  down ;  we  couldn't  meet  payments  and  it 
was  sold  out  by  the  court.  I  had  to  go  out  washing  and 
I  caught  cold  one  day  scrubbing  the  steps  and  wash- 
ing the  windows  of  Judge  Knox's  mansion.  His  wife 
was  a  good  woman.  She  sent  many  delicacies  to  me 
and  the  children  when  I  was  sick  with  consumption. 
She  was  so  kind" 

"Have  you  seen  her  since?" 

"Yes.  She  has  been  here  about  twenty-five  years. 
She  traveled  and  studied  most  of  the  time  and  is  now 
taking  rest  and  recreation." 

"What  is  she  doing?" 

"She  is  a  bath  room  attendant  over  at  the  Alpha, 
where  you  stop.  She  was  so  glad  to  secure  the  posi- 
tion even  for  a  short  time." 

"Where  is  her  husband,  the  judge?" 

"He  has  not  arrived  yet,  although  he  left  Graball 
thirty-one  years  ago.  You  see  he  was  a  banker  and  a 
corporation  lawyer  and  she  is  afraid  that  he  has  gone 
to  Centropolis,  but  some  day  he  will  arrive  here  she 
thinks." 

"You  must  feel  sad  to  think  that  your  children 
still  struggle  in  Graball,"  said  Ethel,  sympathetically. 

"I  don't  feel  so  badly  as  I  did  before  I  heard  the 
latest  from  Graball." 

"What  is  the  latest?" 

"It  is  said  that  Graball  has  been  making  remark- 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  291 

able  progfress  lately,  and  that  within  two  hundred  years, 
it  will  be  promoted  to  the  place  held  by  Venus  while 
Venus  will  be  admitted  to  the  co-operative  union  of 
the  immortal  worlds." 

"It  is  the  old  story,"  remarked  D'AIars  to  Ethel 
as  they  returned  to  the  hotel.  "Go  away  from  home  to 
hear  the  news." 


292  B'MARS  AFFINITY. 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Secre;ts  of  Astrology. 

D'Mars  and  Ethel  now  set  out  for  the  university. 
It  stands  upon  an  elevation  i,ooo  feet  above  the  city 
proper,  althoug'h  the  magnificent  residences  extend  up 
the  grand  boulevards  to  the  university  grounds,  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty-four  miles.  The  grounds  contain  eight 
thousand  acres  and  constitute  one  of  the  most  pictur 
esque  parks  in  the  universe,  outside  the  borderlands. 
At  the  center  of  these  grounds  is  the  university  whose 
corner  stone  was  laid  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  years  ago.  It  covers  about  four  hundred 
acres  of  land  and  is  built  of  material  so  nearly  inde- 
structible that  the  wear  of  so  many  centuries  scarcely 
shows  on  it.  The  observatory  is  an  octagonal  shaped 
tower  at  the  center,  nearly  four  thousand  feet  high. 
The  famous  telescope  is  seven  hundred  feet  long  and 
fifty  feet  in  diameter.  It  required  fifty  years'  labor  to 
grind  and  perfect  one  of  its  lenses.  So  perfect  are  all 
the  mechanical  adjustments  that  this  ponderous  body 
of  aluminum,  coper,  steel  and  glass  is  worked  as  easily 
as  the  pilot  steers  an  ordinary  yacht.  Through  this 
telescope  can  be  seen  millions  of  suns  and  solar  sys- 
tems and  thousands  of  worlds ;  the  worlds  of  our  solar 
system  being  so  magnified  that  the  people  can  be  seen 
walking  in  the  streets. 

D'Mars  sent  his  card  to  President  Uriah  who  re- 
ceived him  and  Ethel  at  once  in  his  private  ofifice. 

"We  have  noted  your  work  in  Graball  and  were 
expecting  this  visit','  said  Uriah  as  he  extended  his 
hands  to  each  of  the  visitors. 

"We  have  been  doing  the  best  we  thought  we 
could  with  the  light  we  had,"  replied  D'Mars. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  293 

"That  was  a  great  hit  you  made  with  the  Woman's 
university ;  it  advanced  the  work  in  Graball  more  than 
a  century,"  said  Uriah  to  EtheL  "We  have  been  trying 
to  find  some  one  to  engage  in  similar  work  in  some  of 
the  other  fallen  worlds." 

"The  greatest  trouble  in  Graball.  is  to  get  the 
masses  of  workers  to  think  and  act  in  harmony  and  I 
don't  see  much  hope  until  we  can  bring  order  out  of 
the  confusion  of  languages,"  said  D'Mars. 

"You  are  right.  Confusion  of  language  is  Satan's 
long  suite.  And  the  strange  thing  is  that  Educated 
Christians  can't  see  it.  Instead  of  abolishing  this  con- 
fusion, we  see  even  ministers  of  the  gospel  and  teach- 
ers of  theology  endeavoring  to  maintain  the  chaos  by 
teaching  this  gabble  and  calling  it  education.  You  will 
find  only  one  language  throughout  all  the  immortal 
worlds. 

"Have  they  the  same  diversity  of  language  in  all 
the  mortal  worlds,"  enquired  Ethel. 

"O,  yes,"  said  Uriah,  "some  are  worse  than  Gra- 
ball. In  Jupiter  they  have  175  governments,  164  lan- 
guages and  1,600  dialects,  and  not  one  person  out  of 
fifty  can  speak  any  of  the  languages  correctly,  that  is 
if  such  a  term  as  correct  can  be  applied  to  such  gib- 
berish. Occasionally  a  Jupiterite  is  found  who  has 
mastered  forty  to  fifty  of  these  languages  and  people 
travel  miles  and  pay  money  to  see  him.  In  Mars,  some 
efforts  are  being  made  to  unify  all  languages.  I  believe 
they  have  about  forty-seven  there,  but  the  kings,  no- 
bles and  college  professors  oppose  the  movement.  The 
former  fear  the  unity  of  the  people  and  the  latter  fear 
the  loss  of  their  occupation.  But  you  will  learn  all 
this  in  the  lectures.  I  suppose  you  are  anxious  to  take 
a  look  through  the  telescope.  I  will  go  up  with  you 
myself." 

Uriah  led  the  way  to  an  elevator,  there  were  fifty 
of  them,  and  in  four  minutes  they  were  on  the  top  of 


iU  D'MABS  AFEINITY. 

the  observatory,  nearly  4,000  feet  above  the  ground. 
They  could  now  comprehend  the  enormity  of  the  in- 
strument which  from  the  ground,  only  appeared  like  a 
large  siege  gun. 

Uriah  first  gave  them  a  view  of  the  general  uni- 
verse, until  they  became  accustomed  to  the  instrument. 
He  then  focused  it  upon  Graball.  "The  time  is  op- 
portune," he  said.  The  United  States  are  in  full  view. 
Now  I  will  let  you  find  New  York  and  other  cities." 

Ethel  first  discovered  New  York.  They  not  only 
saw  the  people  moving  in  the  streets  but  they  could 
read  the  signs  on  the  stores. 

Uriah  gave  them  a  brief  history  of  modern  Gra- 
ball. "About  120.000  years  ago,"  he  said,  "Graball  was 
much  farther  advanced  in  the  material  arts  and  sci- 
ences than  at  present,  but  knew  much  less  of  the  spir- 
itual. At  that  time,  the  land  now  known  as  North 
America  was  a  populous  country.  It  was  noted  for  its 
wealth  and  its  accumulation  of  gold  and  silver.  At 
the  northeast  it  extended  into  the  Atlantic  ocean,  sev- 
eral hundred  miles  farther  than  at  present  and  what  is 
now  known  as  the  extreme  southern  states  was  open 
ocean.  Up  there  about  Newfoundland  and  Novia 
Scotia  was  a  mountainous  country.  A  large  river  had 
its  source  in  those  mountains  flowing  southwesterly. 
Its  course  was  that  of  the  Apalachian  range,  which  was 
then  a  beautiful  fertile  valley. 

"This  was  a  great  river,  navigable  as  far  north  as 
Quebec.  It  was  the  main  artery  of  commerce  for  East- 
ern Atlantis.  Along  this  river  were  large  commercial 
cities  and  wonderful  manufacturing  interests. 

A  great  lake  lay  west  of  the  Eastern  Atlantis  and 
on  its  western  coast  were  many  populous  cities,  on 
whose  sites  you  now  see  mountains.  About  the  center 
of  that  lake  now  flows  a  great  river.  The  gold  and 
silver  at  present  found  in  Graball  is  chiefly  the  accum- 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  295 

ulations  held  in  the  vauks  of  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty thousand  years  ago.  This  eastern  river  carried 
much  gold  from  the  mines  in  the  northern  mountains, 
which  accounts  for  the  wash  gravel  and  placer  mines 
found  on  high  elevations  of  the  Apalachian  system. 

As  Atlantis  grew  rich,  the  people  who  all  wor- 
shipped idols  became  more  and  more  dissolute  and 
wicked,  just  as  in  Pluto,  The  evil  and  discord  of  the 
people  destroyed  it  and  about  ninety-eight  thousand 
years  ago,  it  sunk,  and  for  fifty  thousand  years  the. 
ocean  waves  rolled  over  it.  At  the  same  time  the  land 
of  Pluto  emerged  from  the  ocean,  only  for  its  people 
to  pursue  the  same  course  of  folly.  You  saw  the  end 
of  Pluto  and  its  famous  capital  Multo  about  forty-five 
thousand  years  ago  and  simultaneous  wdth  its  submer- 
sion the  present  land  of  North  America  emerged  from 
the  ocean  amid  tremendous  volcanic  erruptions.  You 
will  notice  that  the  most  intense  disturbance  took  place 
where  the  large  cities  stood.  The  cause  of  this  was 
the  predominance  of  evil  in  those  localities.  This 
also  accounts  for  the  presence  of  the  richest  gold  mines 
in  the  mountains  where  disturbance  was  most  vigo- 
rous." 

"It  is  strange  that  the  Graball  geologists  never 
discovered  these  great  truths." 

"Not  at  all,"  remarked  Uriah.  "All  truth  comes 
by  revelation.  The  mortal  mind  is  incapable  of  dis- 
covering anything.  It  is  unable  to  distinguish  truth 
from  error.  Only  imagine  a  bit  of  clay  studying  an- 
other bit  of  clay  or  a  stick  or  stone  studying  and  dog- 
matizing over  another  stick  or  stone  and  you  will  have 
mortal  science  in  a  nutshell." 

"How  little  our  Graball   scientists  and  geolo- 
gists know,"  said  D'Mars. 

"Practically  nothing,"  remarked  Uriah  as  he 
turned  the  mammoth  lens  upon  Cosmos,  another  of 


296  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

the  worlds  that  engaged  in  the  rebelHon.  but  not  in 
this  solar  system. 

"Cosmos  was  connected  up  in  the  co-operative 
union  of  the  immortal  worlds  about  thirty-seven  thou- 
sand years  ago  and  it  is  making  excellent  progress,' 
continued  Uriah. 

"It  seems  much  larger  than  Graball,"  remarked 
Ethel. 

"O,  yes,"  said  Uriah,  "it  contains  double  the  area 
of  Graball,  and  has  about  I2,C)00,ooo,ocmd  population. 
I  mention  this  world  just  to  show  you  how  different 
was  the  Redeemer's  reception  in  various  worlds. 

"When  He  went  to  Cosmos,  that  world  had  seven 
emperors,  twenty-eight  kings  and  forty-five  govern- 
ments, many  of  which  were  republics.  They  had 
eighty-eight  languages  and  sixty-seven  divinities.  Yet 
more  than  half  the  people  believed  in  the  true  God  and 
were  expecting  the  Redeemer  to  open  connection  be- 
tween Cosmos  and  the  immortal  worlds.  Eighty  per 
cent,  of  the  wealth  was  owned  by  ten  per  cent,  of  the 
people.  Cosmos  had  about  4,000,000,000  population, 
every  government  was  on  a  war  footing,  all  business 
was  controlled  by  trusts,  and  the  masses  of  toilers  were 
in  a  state  of  poverty  and  wretchedness. 

"The  Redeemer  began  His  mission  in  Cosmos,  as 
in  all  other  worlds,  among  the  poor  and  the  lowly, 
their  minds  evidently  being  in  a  more  receptive  con- 
dition for  the  aid  denied  them  by  the  world,  than  were 
the  well  to  do  who  felt  no  need  of  divine  help.  The 
morality,  harmony  and  happiness  of  His  followers  and 
their  exemption  from  worry  and  disease  exerted  a 
powerful  influence  upon  greedy  and  unhappy  world- 
lings. As  a  result,  the  wicked  conformed  their  lives 
to  the  new  gospel,  instead  of  the  gospel  adapting  itself 
to  their  views.  Gradually  it  became  disreputable  for 
anvone   to    live   in    idleness    off   the   toil   of   another. 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  297 

Moral  worth  and  not  wealth  became  the  social  stand- 
ard. Progress  was  rapid  and  within  three  hundred 
and  fifty  years  after  the  advent  of  the  Redeemer,  Cos- 
mos was  reunited  with  the  immortal  worlds." 

"Wonderful.  How  did  these  poor  suffering-  peo- 
ple start.     What  did  they  first  do  ?" 

"Your  question  is  prompted  by  wisdom,  Ethel. 
Everything  depends  upon  starting  right.  Those  who 
start  on  the  right  road  always  find  sufficient  light  to 
keep  in  the  track. 

"These  poor  people  of  Cosmos  followed  the  plain 
simples  directions  laid  down  by  the  Redeemer.  "Love 
thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  They  not  only  professed  this 
love  for  their  neighbor  on  Sunday  with  their  lips,  but 
they  put  it  into  practice  every  day.  They  soon  discov- 
ered that  the  best  way  to  help  self  was  to  help  one  an- 
other. None  of  these  Christians  could  sit  down  and 
enjoy  a  luxurious  dinner,  knowing  that  a  brother  or 
sister  was  hungry.  They  knew  that  the  happiness  of 
each  depended  upon  the  happiness  of  all.  To  make  all 
happy  was  the  greatest  concern  of  each. 

"And  all  this  was  accomplished  by  the  co-opera- 
tors adhering  strictly  to  the  gospel  text  of  love,"  re- 
marked Ethel. 

"Precisely  so,"  said  Uriah. 

"I  will  show  you  Charon,  one  of  the  wickedest  of 
the  rebellious  worlds,"  said  Uriah  as  he  focused  the 
telescope  upon  a  world  about  as  large  as  Graball, 
though  dark  and  stormy. 

"That  world,"  he  said,  "is  naturally  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  universe.  Time  after  time  prophets  have 
been  sent  to  warn  its  people  of  their  evil  ways  but  to 
little  purpose.  At  times  a  few  would  listen,  but  so 
general  and  intense  is  the  influence  of  evil  mind  that 
one  would  opose  the  truth  just  because  another  be- 
lieved  it,   and  the  believer   would  oppose   it  because 


298  D'MAES  AFIINITY. 

some  enemy  believed  it.  They  are  ruled  by  tyrants  and 
while  all  hate  the  tyrants,  some  pretend  to  love  them 
because  others  openly  hate  them.  In  response  to  the 
power  of  this  evil  mind  the  elements  have  become 
chaotic.  In  summer  the  demand  for  drouth  is  general, 
because  each  is  willing  to  suffer  in  order  to  compel  his 
neighbor  to  suffer  and  of  course  they  have  the  drouth 
and  famine.  Earthquakes,  volcanoes,  cyclones,  tor- 
nadoes and  flood  are  general  in  response  to  the  same 
evil.  Magicians,  men  who  are  able  to  utilize  evil  mind 
abound  and  crops  and  animals  and  people  are  hoo- 
dooed and  made  useless.  These  magicians  are  paid 
tribute  for  withholding  their  maledictions  from  some 
and  also  paid  for  inflicting  them  upon  others." 

"Is  astrology  taught  in  the  University  ?"  inquired 
Ethel,  with  a  woman's  curiosity  to  know  the  future. 

"That  is  what  they  term  reading  the  stars  in  Gra- 
ball.     Yes.     We  teach  the  science  of  astrology." 

"Could  you  tell  me  briefly  how  the  close  proximity 
or  the  distance  of  a  planet  at  the  time  of  birth  affects 
the  natural  tendencies  of  a  person  in  Graball  ?" 

"In  order  to  fully  comprehend  that  you  must  first 
understand  the  laws  of  thought,  the  power  of  mind 
over  matter,  and  how  thought  traverses  the  entire  field 
of  the  Universe.  The  full  understanding  of  this  sci- 
ence presupposes  certain  primary  knowledge  which 
you  must  acquire  in  the  University.  I  may  repeat,  by 
the  way,  what  I  have  alread  stated,  the  divine  thought 
or  mind  is  the  only  real  substance  in  the  universe. 
Every  reasoning  being  comes  into  Graball  invested  with 
a  spark  of  this  divine  mind  known  there  as  the  soul. 
He  can,  if  he  choose,  cultivate  this  spark  until  it  leads 
him  to  the  higher  worlds.  This  thought  has  absolute 
power  over  all  matter,  mortal  mind  or  thought  in- 
cluded. 

"Next  in  power    over    matter  is    mortal    mind^ 


tc 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  299 

Mortal  mind  can  reach  a  degree  of  power  that  enables 
it  to  perform  wonderful  feats  over  material  things. 
It  is  known  as  magic,  necromancy,  table  tapping,  etc. 
It  is  incapable,  however,  of  accomplishing  any  good 
or  useful  purpose.  It  is  the  power  of  evil,  known  as 
diabolism.  But  in  the  presence  of  the  divine  mind 
acting  against  it  through  some  agency,  this  evil  mind 
is  powerless. 

''Now  for  astrology.  These  planets  are  all  inhab- 
ited worlds,  as  you  know.  In  some  of  them  the  evil 
mind  is  very  powerful.  When  one  of  these  planets  is 
near  Graball  its  mind  influences  all  who  are  born  at 
that  particular  time.  They  are  influenced  by  the  pre- 
dominating mind  of  the  nearest  planet  or  world.  How 
thought  travels  from  world  to  world  you  have  not  yet 
the  knowledge  to  understand. 

I  may  at  this  time  say  to  you  that  mortal  mind  is 
incapable  of  comprehending  thought  or  the  reality 
of  substance.  Every  thought  goes  forth  as  a  mes- 
sage until  it  finds  a  kindred  thought.  It  returns  with 
threads  of  kindred  thought.  Man  cannot  always  hear 
the  individual  voice  but  he  can  and  does  grasp  the 
threads  of  thought  that  come  to  him.  He  tries  to  dis- 
entangle the  skein  which  resembles  thousands,  yea, 
millions  of  fine  wires  twisted  in  his  brain.  No  evil 
message  was  ever  sent  out  that  did  not  return  to  the 
sender  laden  with  malignity  to  curse  him.  If  man  only 
knew  the  evil  that  one  baleful  message  carries  back  to 
him  he  would  shun  evil  thought  as  he  would  a  viper. 
Good  thoughts  return  with  good  inspirations.  Evil 
thoughts  carry  back  evil  inspirations." 

"How  wonderful  is  real  knowledge!"  remarked 
Ethel.  "If  children  were  only  taught  these  great  truths  ; 
to  think  that  the  people  of  one  world  are  able  to 
influence  those  of  another.  What  planets  aflfect  Grab- 
all  the  most  ?" 


300  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

"Mars  and  Venus.  The  inhabitants  of  Mars  are 
a  warlike  people.  Very  stubborn.  Nearly  all  quarrel- 
some persons  in  Graball  are  born  under  the  influence  of 
Mars.  Those  born  under  the  influence  of  Venus  and 
Mercury  are  more  gentle  and  loving." 

"What  is  the  best  method  of  counteracting  the 
evil  influence  of  Mars?"  queried  D'Mars. 

"Cultivating  peace,  opposing  violence  and  war." 

"Is  killing  people  in  war  actually  murder?"  en- 
quired Ethel. 

"Most  assuredly.  All  taking  of  human  life  is 
murder." 

"Except  legal  executions,"  remarked  D'Mars. 

"There  are  no  legal  executions.  No  human  law 
can  legalize  a  violation  of  the  divine  law.  Nothing  is 
ever  gained  by  legal  executions.  The  person  executed, 
burns  with  vengeance  against  society.  The  children 
of  those  who  took  his  life  inherit  homicidal  tendencies. 
A  destructive  war  gives  a  backset  of  a  century  to  the 
nations  engaged  in  it.  You  must  have  noticed  the 
homicidal  waves  that  spread  over  Graball  after  the 
war  for  the  liberation  of  the  negro  slaves." 

"We  noticed  it  but  Graball  scientists  never  attrib- 
uted it  to  that  cause,"  replied  D'Mars. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  301 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Inhabitants  of  the  Sun, 

Uriah  now  gave  the  visitors  a  brief  view  of  the 
universe  as  far  as  the  telescope  would  extend. 

"Just  look,"  said  Ethel,  "1  never  imagined  that 
there  were  so  many  stars,  there  must  be  billions  of 
them." 

"Billions,"  repeated  Uriah.    "They  are  countless." 

"Countless,"  repeated  D'Mars,  with  emphasis.  "I 
should  think  some  of  the  higher  or  more  advanced 
angels  could  count  them." 

Uriah  smiled  as  he  replied,  "My  child  you  do  not 
know  that  time,  numbers  and  distance  are  mortal  limi- 
tations ;  they  have  no  place  in  eternity." 

"I  see,"  said  Ethel,  "time,  distance,  location  and 
number,  presuppose  limit  or  end.  Eternity  is  limit- 
less, endless." 

"You  are  approaching  the  idea,  Ethel,  but  you 
speak  of  'so  many  stars.'  They  are  not  stars.  All 
those  more  distant  lights  are  luminous  bodies  such  as 
the  source  of  light  and  heat  for  this  solar  system — 
known  in  Graball  as  the  sun. 

"We  infer  from  analogy  in  Graball  that  the  fixed 
stars  are  suns,  centers  of  systems  of  worlds  such  as 
our  planetary  system,"  remarked  D'Mars. 

"Now  you  have  the  proof.  Take  for  instance 
that  brilliant  orb  now  in  the  center  of  the  lenz.  See 
its  thirty-five  worlds  revolving  and  making  their  cir- 
cuits about  it.  That  is  known  in  Graball  as  the  "Dog 
Star."  The  name  came  to  some  prophet  by  revelation, 
for  it  is  correct,"  remarked  Uriah. 

"Why  call  it  the  'Dog?'"  enquired  D'Mars. 

"That  luminary  is  the  center  of  the  finest  hunt- 


302  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

mg  grounds  in  the  universe.  All  Its  worlds  are  noted 
for  game  and  superior  hunting  dogs.  The  game  is 
shy  and  hard  to  set.  They  have  dogs  in  some  of  those 
worlds  that  can  scent  a  quail  fifty  miles  to  windward. 
Then  their  fox  hounds  are  generally  out  of  sight." 

"Especially  when  the  hunters  can't  keep  up,"  sug- 
gested D'Mars. 

"The  hunters  can  keep  up  with  the  hounds  with- 
out much  exertion." 

"They  no  doubt  have  fine  horses,"  suggested 
D'Mars. 

"On  foot  a  man  can  outrun  any  horse.  I  have 
run  five  miles  a  minute  myself  and  some  of  the  hunt- 
ers can  discount  me." 

"A  man  outrun  a  horse !"  exclaimed  Ethel  in  sur- 
prise. 

"Certainly.  A  man  who  cannot  outdo  an  animal 
at  anything  would  not  count  for  much  in  those  worlds," 
remarked  Uriah. 

"You  can  now  behold  the  inhabitants  of  the  Sun," 
remarked  Uriah  as  he  focused  the  instrument  upon  the 
familiar  luminary  of  day. 

"You  must  remember,"  he  continued,  "'that  Mer- 
cury is  the  last  station  before  entering  the  Sun." 

"Entering  the  sun,"  repeated  Ethel,  in  surprise. 
"So  the  sun  is  inhabited,  too?" 

"Inhabited!"  exclaimed  Uriah.  "Why,  the  sun 
is  the  habitation  of  the  more  advanced  spirits  of  the 
borderlands.  After  a  course  of  training  in  the  sun 
you  are  prepared  to  visit  the  highest  worlds  of  the 
universe." 

"We  were  taught  in  Graball  that  the  sun  is  a 
globe  of  fire  that  would  instantly  consume  a  person 
were  he  cast  into  it,"  remarked  D'Mars. 

"It  is  a  sphere  of  fire  and  hotter  than  any  fire 
known  in  Graball." 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  303 

"How  do  people  exist  in  such  intense  heat  ?" 

"You  do  not  as  yet  comprehend  these  things.  Per- 
mit me  to  give  you  a  general  idea  that  will  aid  you 
materially  in  your  observations,"  remarked  Uriah. 

"Heat  is  life,  health,  progress,  perfection.  Cold  is 
the  absence  of  heat  or  what  you  would  term  death,  in 
Graball.  There  is,  of  course,  no  such  thing  as  death 
in  the  sense  of  annihilation.  What  you  term  death  is 
only  change  of  organized  matters  from  one  form  to 
another.  Your  Graball  scientists  have  learned  that 
much  in  a  crude  way.  But  as  the  truths  which  they  be- 
gin to  realize  destroy  the  errors  they  were  taught,  they 
accept  truth  very  slowly  and  always  dilute  it  with  er- 
ror to  make  it  palatable. 

"Heat,  being,  life,  love,  movement,  activity,  it  all 
comes  from  the  central  heavens,  where  is  the  perfection 
of  life.  As  you  approach  the  central,  or  more  prop- 
erly speaking,  the  higher  heavens,  the  more  intense 
the  heat  becomes.  Graball  is  further  advanced  and  is 
warmer  than  Mars.  Venus  is  warmer  than  Graball, 
Mercury  is  warmer  than  Venus.  You  no  doubt  noticed 
the  difference  when  you  first  arrived.  Mercury  is 
much  warmer  than  Venus  and  the  sun  is  the  seat  and 
center  of  heat  for  this  solar  system,  and  there  is  the 
most  complete  and  perfect  life." 

"Then  all  the  real  life  in  these  comparatively  cold 
worlds  is  working  toward  the  sun?" 

"It  is.  It  passes  on  by  degrees  from  colder  to 
warmer  worlds  until  in  time  it  reaches  the  sun." 

"And  when  all  immortal  life  reaches  the  sun  what 
will  become  of  these  worlds?" 

"They  will  remain.  Their  inhabitants  will  come 
and  go  and  these  worlds  will  gradually  return  to  the 
status  they  enjoyed  prior  to  the  fall.  They  will  grow 
warmer  and  so  will  the  sun  because  it  will  not  be  re- 
quired to  give  off  so  much  heat  to  them." 


304  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

"Then  the  wicked  worlds  are  cold  and  the  good 
are  the  warmest,"  observed  Ethel  reflectively. 

"Precisely." 
"In  Graball  the  theologians  tell  ns  that  the  evil  world 
is  a  burning  pit  of  fire,"  continued  Ethel. 

"Just  so.  In  the  warmer  of  the  fallen  worlds  the 
wicked  are  threatened  with  everlasting  fire  and  in  the 
cold  worlds  such  as  Jupiter  and  Neptune  the  promised 
punishment  is  eternal  frost  and  ice.  This  is  all  figura- 
tive; the  real  penalty  for  sin,  opposition  to  the  divine 
law  and  plan  everywhere,  is  mental  darkness,  fear, 
worry,  anger,  hatred,  slavery,  disease,  and  mortal 
death,  which  the  violators  must  endure  through  all  the 
ages  until  they  at  last  seek  Truth  and  Eight,  and  learn 
to  obey  Nature's  laws." 

"And  beyond  the  sun,  what  ?"  enquired  Ethel. 

"There  are  innumerable  suns,  as  I  have  shown 
you.  Each  is  surrounded  by  its  systems  of  worlds. 
The  more  advanced  inhabitants  travel  from  sun  to 
sun.  These  suns  vary  in  light  and  heat  according  to 
the  perfection  of  their  inhabitants." 

"Then,  were  a  large  number  of  visitors  of  a  lower 
order  of  intelligence  to  crowd  into  one  of  these  suns, 
it  would  necessarily  grow  colder?"  suggested  D'Mars. 

"The  less  intelligent  people  are  unable  to  do  that. 
Their  approach  is  retarded  and  cut  ofif  by  the  heat. 
You  in  your  present  intellectual  development  could  not 
enter  our  sun.  You  are  as  far  now  as  you  can  proceed 
until  you  have  reached  a  higher  state  of  intelligence — 
or  to  be  more  precise,  until  you  have  more  fully  elim- 
inated miortality." 

"Then  the  illustive  mind  is  all  error?"  remarked 
Ethel. 

"Precisely.  It  is  a  barrier  to  light  and  truth  and 
it  must  be  entirely  cast  off  before  one  can  enter  the 
higher   heavens.     This    fact   explains   the    Messiah's 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  305 

words,  'The  last  farthing  must  be  paid,"  and  'nothing 
defiled  can  enter  heaven,"  and  'In  my  Father's  house 
are  many  mansions.'  " 

"Why  are  these  things  not  explained  clearly,  even 
by  theologians,  in  Graball?"  queried  D'Mars. 

"The  power  of  mortal  mind  shades  the  light  of 
absolute  truth.  The  great  masses  in  the  fallen  worlds 
are  not  prepared  to  receive  the  light.  Were  you  to  re- 
turn to  Graball  and  tell  them  what  you  saw  and  under- 
take to  explain  these  things  they  would  laugh  at  you 
and  say  you  were  a  dreamer.  If  you  persisted  they 
would  declare  you  a  lunatic  and  in  some  localities  they 
would  imprison  you  or  put  you  to  death  for  heresy. 
Were  you  to  print  these  things  in  a  book  some  persons 
in  authority  would  condemn  it  and  thousands  would 
fear  to  read  it." 

"But  the  Messiah  promised  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
would  "teach  all  truth  and  would  remain  with  true  be- 
lievers forever,"  remarked  Ethel. 

"Very  true.  And  that  promise  is  fulfilled  to  the 
letter.  But  the  Messiah  did  not  promise  that  all  to 
whom  truth  were  presented  wo-uld  immediately  ac- 
cept it  or  that  all  teachers  would  be  so  free  from  illu- 
sive mind  that  they  could  teach  all  truth.  Nor  did  He 
limit  the  time  given  to  the  fallen  worlds  to  seek  and 
find  light.  The  fact  is  that  millions  of  spirits  are  to- 
day in  Graball  teaching  truth.  Some  are  carnate  and 
many  are  incarnate.  All  they  can.  do  is  suggest,  re- 
veal— inspire  the  people.  They  cannot  coerce.  Free 
will  of  man  to  do  right  or  wrong  is  never  to  be  re- 
strained. God  Himself  would  not  intefere  with  man's 
free  choice  at  any  stage  of  his  progress.  To  do  so 
would  be  to  violate  His  own  immutable  law,  which 
would  be  a  contradiction — a  thing  not  to  be  thought 
of  in  connection  with  omnipotent  Wisdom," 

"Then  all  sincere  teachers  and  preachers  in  Gra- 


306  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

ball  are  advancing  the  light  and  the  cause  of  Truth." 
"All  who  sincerely  seek  light — who  pray  for  light 
— and  make  the  best  use  of  the  light  they  already  have, 
are  on  the  road  of  progress.  You  find  these  sincere 
people  in  all  the  churches  and  outside  of  them.  It  is 
the  works  that  men  do  toward  increasing  the  love,  har- 
mony and  happiness  of  all  others  that  mark  the  mile- 
stones of  their  progress  toward  the  higher  life,  rather 
than  what  they  profess  with  their  lips.  The  man  who 
professes  with  his  Hps,  what  is  not  in  his  heart  or 
works,  is  on  the  downward  grade.  But  we  may  not 
judge.  One  there  is  who  can  read  the  heart.  He 
misses  nothing.  No,  we  may  not  judge.  The  seem- 
ingly degraded  being  w*ho  walks  the  streets  in  shame 
may  have  made  vastly  more  progress  from  a  still  worse 
status  in  past  existences  than,  she  who  occupies  a  front 
pew  in  some  magnificent  church." 

"Then  there  are  heavens  higher  and  more  perfect 
than  any  of  these  millions  of  worlds  and  suns  that  we 
see  through  the  telescope?"  suggested  Ethel. 

"Yes.  There  are  splendors  of  perfection  that 
even  the  people  of  these  suns  can  neither  realize  nor 
comprehend — no  limitations — no  end  to  the  beauty,  the 
harmony,  the  love,  the  perfection,"  said  Uriah  rever- 
ently. 

"And  this  is  within  the  reach  of  all?" 
"It  is.     It  all  depends  upon  the  use  we  make  of 
our  free  choice.     We  were  all  created  free.     Sin,  suf- 
fering and  slavery  are  conditions  of  our  own  creation 
by  evil  choice." 

"Ethel  and  D'Mars  viewed  the  sun  through  the 
telescope  and  were  surprised  at  the  exceeding  beauty 
of  the  in^habitants  and  the  sublimity  and  grandeur  of 
the  scenery.  So  perfect  was  the  detail  that  they  could 
read  the  signs  on  the  stores  and  even  the  larger  print 
in  the  newspapers. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  807 

"Such  beautiful  women!"  exclaimed  D'Mars. 

"I  think  the  men  are  so  grand  and  noble  looking 
too,"  remarked  Ethel. 

"What  is  the  limit  of  life  in  the  Sun?"  queried 
D'Mars. 

"You  refer  to  mortal  life  of  course,  for  there  is 
no  limit  to  real  life.  In  the  Sun  we  are  beyond  mor- 
tality. When  we  reach  a  sufficient  stage  of  perfection 
we  are  translated  to  the  other  worlds  by  the  power  of 
the  mind.  When  one  is  able,  by  his  own  volition,  to 
proceed  to  the  Sun,  he  is  prepared.  There  is  no  hap- 
hazard work  about  it." 

"But  what  becomes  of  these  bodies  when  the  mind 
departs  for  another  world?"  queried  D'Mars. 

"I  see  you  are  imbued  with  the  ancient  Graball 
doctrine  of  reincarnation.  It  is  borrowed  from  the 
ancient  materialists,  who  endeavored  to  get  along 
without  God  and  yet  shrunk  from  the  idea  of  annihil- 
ation. 

"There  is  nothing  of  your  visible  body  except 
what  the  mind  produces.  When  the  mind  is  sufficient- 
ly perfect  to  proceed  to  the  immortal  worlds,  nothing 
remains.  You  have  been  sloug'hing  off  mortality  ever 
since  you  left  Graball  and  your  body  becomes  more 
perfect  with  each  change." 

"Then  the  mind  or  thought  is  all  that  really  is  ?" 

"Now  you  begin  to  get  a  glimpse  of  it.  The  spir- 
itual mind  is  all  that  really  is.  The  mortal  mind,  how- 
ever, has  a  sort  of  transitory  existence  and  it  is  capable 
of  exerting  power — always  for  evil,  however.  To 
make  this  plainer.  There  is  first  the  spirit  which  is 
real  life.  It  is  accompanied  by  its  inseparable  adjunct, 
free  will.  Then  comes  the  wish  which  is  the  exercise 
of  free  will.  The  wish  is  followed  by  the  thought. 
Next  comes  action.  The  wish  is  parent  to  the  thought 
and  the  thought  produces  the  action.     The  physical 


308  B'MAES  AFFINITY. 

body  is  merely  the  agency  through  which  mind  acts.  It 
has  no  sense  or  life." 

"Now,  suppose  that  Ethel  and  I  wished  to  visit 
the  sun,  and  she  were  sufficiently  advanced  to  make  the 
trip  and  I  were  not,  would  she  go  and  leave  me  here  ?" 
queried  D'Mars. 

"Nonsense,"  replied  Uriah.  "You  are  still  labor- 
ing under  the  illusion  that  you  and  Ethel  are  two  differ- 
ent persons.  Know  heerafter  that  you  and  Ethel  are 
one.  Only  one.  Neither  can  ever  be  perfectly  inde- 
pendent of  the  other.  You  are  as  the  positive  and  nega- 
tiv  poles  of  a  battery.  Man  is  the  positive,  woman  the 
negative.  This  solves  a  problem  that  Graball  philos- 
ophers have  never  been  able  to  comprehend,  viz.  the 
opposition  of  woman  and  the  egoism  of  man.  The  gos 
pel  teaches  that  affinities  are  one.  This  is  true.  But 
those  who  are  not  affinities  are  sometimes  joined  in 
wedlock ;  the  man-made  law  pronounces  them  one ;  and 
they  spend  the  remainder  of  their  mortal  lives  fighting 
it  out  in  order  to  ascertain  which  is  the  one." 

"Why  have  positive  and  negative  forces  in  nature  ? 
Are  such  forces  not  calculated  to  produce  friction? 

"  Friction  is  an  economic  disturber.  Heat 
is  life.  But  there  is  no  friction  between  the  positive 
and  the  negative  forces  when  they  work  in  harmony. 
An  electric  motor  demonstrates  that.  Positive  and 
negative  forces  are  necessary  in  order  to  maintain 
equilibrium.  But  there  is  not  necessarily  friction  be- 
tween the  agencies.  They  work  in  harmony  to  ac- 
complish a  purpose.  This  much  is  known  in  Graball 
and  the  knowledge  is  utilized  in  mechanism  but  they 
have  not  yet  learned  to  apply  this  principle  of  science 
to  society." 

"How  much  we  can  learn,"  remarked  Ethel  enthu- 
siastically. 

"You  have  learned  little  yet.     I  have  only  in  a 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  309 

■very  crude  way  given  you  a  slight  idea  of  rudimentary 
principles  that  are  elaborated  and  more  fully  explain- 
ed and  applied  in  the  University,"  remarked  Uriah. 
"Have  you  visited  the  sun?"  inquired  D'Mars. 
"Many  times.     I  have  visited  thousands  of  them," 
replied  Uriah. 

"How  much  hotter  is  the  sun,  than  mercury?" 
"The  sun  is  so  hot  that  copper  will  fuse  at  a  dis- 
tance of  fifty  thousand  miles  from  it." 

"It  would  be   a  poor  place  to  manufacture   ice 
cream  in,"  remarked  D'Mars. 

"Yet  they  produce  a  most  excellent  article  of  ice 
cream  there.  Notice  that  great  crowd  to  the  left  of 
vonder  dancing  pavilion.  They  are  eating  ice  cream 
and  drinking  ice  cold  lemonade.  Inhabitants  of  some 
of  the  more  advanced  suns  consider  ours  very  chilly. 
When  I  first  came  here  from  the  sun  I  wore  a  heavy 
overcoat  until  I  became  acclimated.  Yet,  were  a  per- 
son transferred  here  direct  from  Graball,  he  would 
suffer  intensely  from  the  heat.  Again,  were  a  person 
removed  directly  from  Jupiter  to  the  most  moderate 
climate  of  Graball  he  would  die  of  heat  in  five  min- 
utes," remarked  Uriah. 

"What  is  the  altitude  of  those  lofty  mountains  of 
the  sun?"  queried  Ethel. 

"Some  are  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  high,  by 
Graball  measurement.  The  snow  never  melts  on  some 
of  the  higher  peaks.     The  scenery  of  the  sun  is  very 

fine." 

"How  d'o  the  spots  on  the  sun  produce  wars  and 
pestilence  in  Graball"  inquired  Ethel. 

"Nonsense.  Those  spots  are  only  clouds  pro- 
duced by  evaporation.  The  conceit  of  Graball  scien- 
tists is  so  intense  that  some  of  them  imagine  that  the 
sun  was  made  for  the  convenience  of  Graball.     Only 


310  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

imagine  a  Hon  being  made  for  the  amusement  of  a 
mouse." 

"Is  the  moon  inhabited?"  inquired  D'Mars. 

"Not  now.  Graball  has  absorbed  all  its  inhabi- 
tants long  ago.  That  is  where  the  lunatics  came 
from." 

"How  little  we  know  of  the  wonders  of  the  Uni- 
verse," remarked  Ethel  with  a  sigh. 

"Very  true.  And  how  little  this  University  is 
able  to  teach,"  responded  Uriah. 

"I  thought  you  taught  it  all  here,"  said  D'Mars. 

"It  all !  Why  this  is  only  a  kindergarten.  It  is 
the  primary  school  of  the  twelve  universities  of  the 
borderland's.  We  are  unable  here  to  give  even  the 
primary  lessons  on  the  vital  principle  of  animated 
life." 

"You,  no  doubt,  have  a  theory?"  suggested 
D'Mars. 

"We  have  a  theory,  and  a  correct  one  too.  There- 
in this  University  differs  from  the  Graball  schools. 
When  you  reach  a  higher  University  you  are  not 
obliged  to  unlearn  what  we  teach  here." 

"Could  you  give  us  the  theory  of  animal  or  ani- 
mated life,"  inquired  Ethel. 

"All  life  comes  from  God  and  it  returns  to  Him. 
You  are  not  sufficiently  advanced  to  understand  the 
simplest  illustration  of  it.  Life  abounds  in  the  air 
you  breathe.  Graball  scientists  know  this  in  a  way. 
They  know  that  life  cannot  be  sustained  without  air 
and  they  know  that  moving  air  contains  the  most  life, 
just  as  running  water  is  the  more  healthful.  With 
each  breath  of  air,  life  is  taken  into  the  system." 

"If  Graball  people  would  inhale  plenty  of  air — 
use  the  whole  three  hundred  inches  of  lung  capacity 
instead  of  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  inches  which  they 
no'w  use  on  an  average,  they  need  never  be  sick." 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  311 

"But  the  air  of  Graball  is  also  impregnated  with 
the  most  terrible  disease  germs,"  remarked  D'Mars. 

"Yes,  I  know.  Certain  scientists  of  Graball  teach 
that  all  disease  is  in  the  illusive  mind.  They  have  got 
part  of  a  great  truth  and  they  imagine  that  they 
have  it  all.  They  would  cure  all  diseases  without 
material  aid — yet  they  can  do  nothing  without  the  use 
of  material  things.  Of  course  drugs  and  so-called 
medical  science  are  humbugs.  But  where  are  you 
going  to  draw  the  line  on  medicine?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  remarked  Ethel. 

"All  food  is  medicine.  Fresh  air  is  medicine. 
Pure  water  is  medicine.  The  bath  is  medicine.  A 
multitude  of  so-called  diseases  are  imaginary.  No 
doubt  of  that.  A  multitude  of  drug  cures  are  imagin- 
ary." 

"What  are  disease  germs  ?"  inquired  Ethel. 

"Evil  thoughts,  acquired  or  inherited  are  disease 
germs.  There  are  millions  of  them  to  the  acre.  But 
the  good  life-giving  germs  outnumber  the  evil,  mil- 
lions to  one.  The  human  mind  and  body  inhale  these 
good  and  bad.  They  need  kinc^red  spirits.  They 
must  have  association.  The  evil  germs  are  the  most 
persistent,  intrusive  and  tenacious.  But  they  can  be 
easily  cast  off.  Whenever  an  evil  thought  intrudes 
on  one  he  should  think  of  something  good.  Anger  is 
the  worst  of  all  evil  thoughts.  When  it  asserts  itself 
think  of  something  pleasant.  Graball  scientists  even, 
have  discovered  that  anger  is  a  disease  germ  that 
poisons  the  whole  system." 

"What  would  you  prescribe  as  a  general  rem- 
edy?" 

"Breathe  plenty  of  fresh  air.  Go  out  into  the 
woods.  Climb  the  mountains.  Sit  by  the  side  of  run- 
ning water.  Abstract  your  mind  from  all  worry.  Ex- 
pand the  chest.     Take  the  pure  oxygen  from  nature's 


312  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

reservoir.  Never  read  a  word  about  diseases  or  theii 
symptoms.  There  are  thousands  of  millions  of  evil 
germs  on  every  square  inch  of  a  symptom  card  or  a 
fake  medicine  advertisement." 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  313 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
Revealing  the  Future. 

"Could  you  reveal  to  us  the  future  of  Graball?" 
queried  Ethel. 

"But  few  are  able  to  reveal  the  future  as  you  term 
it — for  there  is  no  past  or  future  in  the  infinite.  What 
is  termed  the  future  is  the  thing  veiled  from  finite 
view." 

"But  you  can  see  it  ?"  said  Ethel  persuasively. 

Uriah  was  silent  for  several  minutes.  He  closed 
his  eyes  and  finally  said  that  he  could  see  the  more 
remote  future  of  Graball.     He  then  began : 

"The  dark  planet  is  enveloped  in  clouds  of  gloom. 
There  are  now  only  three  great  powers.  They  are  on 
a  war  footing.  I  see  ten  millions  of  soldiers  trained 
to  kill.  But  the  great  masses  of  the  people  demand 
peace  and  the  rulers  are  afraid  to  engage  in  battle." 

"Good,"  exclaimed  Ethel." 

Without  noticing  the  remark  Uriah  proceeded : 

"Truths  Torch  presents  the  most  remarkable  feat 
in  journalism  ever  seen  in  the  universe  outside  the  im- 
mortal worlds.  It  is  printed  in  only  one  language  now 
and  it  circulates  in  every  nation  of  Graball. 

"Can  you  see  its  circulation?"  inquired  D'Mars. 

"Its  statement  in  figures  on  the  first  page  places 
its  circulation  at  850,000,000  copies  daily — advertising 
rates  $17,500  per  line  agate  type  and  an  affidavit  stat- 
ing that  its  circulation  is  greater  than  all  the  other 
papers  in  the  world  combined.  It  shows  a  cartoon  of 
love  conquering  the  world." 

"What  is  the  date  of  to-day's  paper?"  inquired 
D'Mars. 

"The  date  is  July  3,  2198." 


314  B'MABS  AFFINITY. 

Uriah  continued!  "All  South  America  and  Can- 
ada, the  Philippines,  Japan  and  most  of  China  belong 
to  the  United  States.  The  British  flag  floats  over 
Africa,  India  and  a  portion  of  China.  All  the  balance 
of  Europe  and  Russia  are  one  republic. 

"The  people  of  the  United  States  are  preparing 
for  a  presidential  election.  I  see  a  vast  wigwam. 
There  are  twelve  thousand  delegates  and  five  hun- 
dred thousand  spectators.  The  speaking  is  all  done 
through  vast  horns.  The  delegates  are  nearly  all 
postmasters  and  revenue  collectors.  Most  of  the  spec- 
tators wear  diamonds.  I  would  estimate  the  diamonds 
at  one  thousand  bushels.  The  leading  spectators  oc- 
cupy a  gorgeous  system  of  private  boxes  near  the  plat- 
form. Each  wears  a  label  indicating  his  wealth.  All 
are  multi-millionaires  with  a  sprinkling  of  biflionaires.' 
They  express  their  sentiments  by  either  cheers  or 
groans  through  an  immense  fog-horn  blown  by  the 
speaker  of  the  house  of  representatives.  No  one  dares 
express  an  opinion  until  these  magnates  lead  off — 
then  all  join  in  the  chorus. 

"The  platform  points  with  pride  to  the  glorious 
record  of  the  party  during  the  past  250  years.  It 
congratulates  the  people  on  the  beneficent  effects  of 
free  trade,  a  principle  for  which  the  speakers  say  the 
party  always  contended." 

"It  must  be  a  Democratic  convention,"  remarked 
Ethel. 

"The  new  plan  of  auctioning  off  all  offices  except 
the  presidency,  to  the  highest  bidder,  is  enthusiastically 
commended." 

"McKinley,  Hanna,  and  Reed  are  mentioned  as  the 
iearly  apostles  of  the  party,  amid  tremendous  cheers. 
The  herculean  efforts  of  die  party  to  enforce  the  anti- 
trust law  are  commended  amid  laughter.  The  plat- 
form points  with  pride  to  the  noble  efforts  of  the  party 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  315 

to  purify  itself  and  mentions  the  indictment  of  750,000 
'boodlers'  and  "grafters'  during  the  past  four  years  and 
the  conviction  of  quite  a  few  of  them.  This  also  is 
heartily  cheered. 

"Comes  to  me  another  national  convention.  It  is 
even  larger  than  the  one  I  have  just  described  and  in 
make-up  very  much  resembles  it.  The  platform  points 
with  pride  to  the  grand  achievements  of  the  party  in 
the  past,  especially  its  struggles  against  imperialism, 
trust  dictation,  monopoly,  government  by  injunction, 
the  crime  of  '73  and  of  '96,  the  single  gold  standard 
and  it  refers  in  glowing  terms  to  the  advantages  of  a 
revenue  tax  on  wind,  which  the  speakers  say  is  the 
most  equitable  tax  ever  invented,  inasmuch  as  no  one 
can  escape  it  and  wind  costs  nothing.  It  mentions  the 
names  of  Jefferson  and  Jackson,  Tilden  and  Thurman. 
It  denounces  the  profligate  waste  and  expenditure  of 
revenue,  and  the  meddling  of  the  federal  government 
with  state  affairs.     The  platform   is  loudly  cheered. 

"A  delegate  from  Brazil  demands  that  a  money 
ratio  of  16  to  i  be  added  to  the  platform. 

"Groans  and  shouts  of  'sit  down'  and  'put  him 
out'  come  from  the  New  York  delegation. 

"Great  confusion.  The  chairman  raps  for  order. 
The  gavel  is  broken.  He  improvises  a  gold-headed 
cane.  The  western  delegates  protest.  He  is  furnished 
a  silver-headed  cane  also.  He  raps  with  both.  New 
York  delegation  threatens  to  bolt  unless  the  silver- 
headed  cane  is  abandoned. 

"The  chairman  abandons  both  canes  and  uses  a 
specimen  brick  presented  by  the  North  Pole  Sand, 
Brick  and  Tile  Trust.  Chicago  delegation  protests 
against  the  use  of  a  non-union  brick  for  a  gavel. 

"An  amendment  to  the  platform  presented  by  the 
famous  Socialist,  Vanderholter,  provides  for  govern- 


316  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

ment  ownership  of  all  public  utilities,  including  shops 
and  factories.     Loud  protests  from  all  quarters. 

"The  only  remedy  for  monopoly  is  government 
control  of  all  the  tools  of  production,'  exclaims  Vander- 
holter. 

"  'Better  get  the  government  out  of  the  hands  of 
the  trusts  before  we  give  it  more  power,'  remarks  Sen- 
ator Wonderville.  Japanese  and  Chinese  delegations 
engage  in  a  pitched  battle.  New  York  bolts.  The 
West  is  defiant.  Convention  breaks  up  in  wild  dis- 
order." 

"Just  like  them,"  remarked  Ethel.  "Whenever 
they  have  a  chance  to  win  they  throw  it  away." 

"It  matters  little,"  replied  Uriah.  "Little  note  is 
made  of  human  governments  and  institutions  and  po- 
litical parties  in  the  eternal  records.  Less  notice  is 
taken  in  the  higher  worlds  of  the  passing  of  a  mortal 
idol,  than  if  he  were  a  ordinary  grade  laborer. 

"Strange  and  momentous  events  are  now  crowd- 
ing one  another.  The  three  great  powers  are  prac- 
tically bankrupt.  The  Jews  have  kept  right  on  ac- 
quiring wealth.  So  vast  is  their  accumulations  that 
they  virtually  hold  Graball  under  bond  and  mort- 
gage." 

"A  most  remarkable  people,"  remarked  Abraham 
Lincoln,  who  had  called  to  consult  Uriah  on  an  insur- 
rection that  had  just  broken  out  in  Mars.  After  giv- 
ing directions  to  Lincoln,  Uriah  continued : 

"Whole  nations  are  now  hypothecated  as  security 
for  their  loans.  They  not  only  hold  mortgages  on  the 
estates  and  demesne  of  kings  and  nobles  but  they  hold 
crown  jewels  and  even  the  crowns  of  kings  in  their 
vaults  as  collateral  security  for  money  advanced.  In 
addition  to  this  enormous  wealth,  the  Hebrew  financiers 
hold  vast  amounts  of  the  bonds  and  the  preferred 
stocks  of  the  trusts  as  owners  or  as  collateral  security. 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  317 

Should  the  Jews  force  settlement  and  foreclose  their 
mortgages  they  would  own  all  the  wealth  in  Graball. 

"The  trust  magnates  and  the  politicians  of  the 
three  great  powers  are  alarmed.  They  now  propose 
legislation  that  will  practically  repudiate  all  obligations 
to  the  Jews.  Truths  Torch  has  issued  an  imperative 
mandate  demanding  the  referendum  on  this  legislation. 
Excitement  is  intense.  An  imperial  order  has  been  is- 
sued by  the  three  great  powers  suppressing  Truths 
Torch.  Seventy  per  cent  of  the  people  stand  by  the 
publishers.  Business  is  suspended.  Millions  of  sol- 
diers throw  down  their  arms. 

"The  order  suppressing  Truths  Torch  has  been 
Vvdthdrawn  and  the  referendum  is  granted.  A  vOte 
has  been  ordered.  Shall  the  obligations  to  the  Jews  be 
repudiated,  is  the  issue.  It  is  a  wonderful  campaign. 
The  kings,  nobles,  trust  magnates  and  leading  politi- 
cians advocate  repudiation.  Their  argument  is  that  if 
the  Jews  are  permitted  to  foreclose  they  will  own  all 
the  property  of  Graball ;  business  will  be  ruined ;  wages 
will  be  reduced  by  the  'usurers' ;  labor  will  walk  the 
highways  and  the  by-ways  vainly  seeking  employment : 
worst  of  all,  Christianity  will  be  abolished. 

"Truths  Torch  declares  it  a  contract  and  an  honest 
debt.  Honesty  and  honor  require  that  it  be  paid.  The 
great  masses  of  businessmen  and  toilers  take  the  same 
view  of  it.  They  are  not  afraid  that  the  Jews  will  ruin 
business. 

"The  Jews  themselves  declare  that  they  do  not  de- 
sire to  collect  the  debt  by  foreclosure.  All  they  want 
is  the  interest  on  their  money.  They  ofifer  to  reduce 
the  interest  from  3  per  cent  to  23^  per  cent  and  throw 
oflf  the  interest  past  due. 

"Excitement  is  intense.  Truths  Torch  is  publish- 
ing 700.000,00  extra  copies  daily  and  Is  unable  to  sup- 
ply the  demand.     Advertisers  are  struggling  for  extra 


318  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

space  at  the  advance  rate  of  $26,000  per  line.  Wild 
scenes  on  the  stock  exchanges.  Prominent  brokers 
and  speculaitors  are  suiciding.  Gold  has  gone  to  400 
per  cent  premium.  The  slum  element  is  bought  up  by 
the  political  machines.  Emperors,  kings  and  nobles 
quiver  like  reeds  in  the  wind. 

"Votes  are  counted.  The  repudiators  are  repu- 
diated. Honesty  has  prevailed.  The  debt  must  be 
paid. 

"The  Jews  have  made  heavy  purchases  in  the  far 
east.  They  now  own  Palestine  and  the  Holy  Land. 
The  Sultan  is  in  need  of  money  again.  He  has  s'old» 
nearly  all  of  Turkey,  including  the  city  of  Constanti- 
nople to  the  Jews.  This  sale  makes  them  master  of 
Egypt  and  the  Suez  canal. 

"The  Jews  have  made  extensive  improvements  in 
Syria.  A  splendid  port  has  been  opened  on  the  Medi- 
terranean and  a  magnificent  boulevard  and  electric 
railways  run  into  Jerusalem.  They  have  constructed 
great  hotels  and  sky-scrapers  in  Jerusalem.  The  Ma- 
hommedans  are  driven  out  by  a  Christian  syndicate 
which  has  leased  an  extensive  tract  of  land  including 
M'ount  Calvary,  the  Mount  of  Olives  and  all  the  other 
holy  places.  Modern  hotels  are  constructed  by  the 
syndicate  and  Christian  pilgrims  are  flocking  to  the 
shrines.  Syndicate  stock  has  advanced  to  $1,200 
per  s'hare.  It  is  claimed  that  the  Jews  own  a  majority 
of  this  stock  and  all  the  bonds. 

"While  catering  to  the  needs  of  wealthy  Chris- 
tians, the  Jewrs  have  not  neglected  their  own  faith. 
They  have  rebuilt  Solomon's  Temple  on  a  scale  of  mag- 
nificence and  oriental  grandeur  of  which  the  wise  old 
king  never  dreamt.  The  new  temple  occupies  the  site 
of  the  old  Mosque  of  Omar.  The  Holy  Rock,  beneath 
whicli  they  believe  to  this  day  that  the  prophet  Jere- 
miah buried  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  and  a  portion 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  319 

of  the  sacred  vessels,  was  reserved  for  the  foundation 
of  the  high  aUar.  This  rock  is  beheved  to  be  the  pre- 
cise spot  where  the  angel  interposed  when  Abraham 
was  about  to  slay  his  son,  Isaac. 

"The  great  altar  was  constructed  by  Christian 
workmen.  No  Jew  would  work  upon  that  rock  for 
fear  of  committing  the  sin  of  treading  upon  the  Holy 
of  Holies.  This  Holy  Rock  is  referred  to  in  (Two 
Kings)  as  the  threshing-floor  of  Areuna  and  amid  all 
mutations  it  has  never  been  disturbed. 

"A  pilgrimage  of  the  faithful  Jew's  from  all  parts 
of  Graball  is  on  its  way  to  Jerusalem  to  celebrate  the 
opening  of  the  new  temple.  The  famous  new  temple 
is  now  thrown  open.  All  the  absent  Jews  of  Grab- 
all  are  congregated  in  their  temples  which  are  now  in 
direct  communication  with  the  great  temple  in  Jeru- 
salem. 

"There  are  one  hundred  thousand  worshippers 
present  in  the  temple.  They  are  clad  in  sack  cloth. 
The  great  bell  has  ceased  to  toll.  A  half  million 
curious  Christian  pilgrims  surround  the  vast  edifice. 
The  high  priest  and  his  thirty-six  assistants,  enter  the 
sanctuary.  The  high  priest  starts  to  ascend  the  steps 
of  the  tabernacle.  He  is  unable  to  ascend.  A  strange 
feeling  comes  over  the  assemblage.  The  sun  is  dark- 
ened by  a  portentous  cloud.  A  terific  crash  of  thun- 
der shakes  the  temple.  The  interior  is  enveloped  in 
midnig*ht  darkness. 

"A  light.  The  high  altar  is  ablaze.  The  light  is 
intense.  Heads  are  bowed  and  eyes  averted.  Three 
figures  appear  in  this  dazzling,  blinding  blaze.  They 
are  Moses,  Abraham  and  Elias.  There  they  stand, 
clad  in  robes  of  celestial  magnificence.  Hasty  glances 
are  cast  upon  them  and  heads  instantly  bowed.  All 
believe  that  the  end  is  near  and  they  are  correct. 

"Another  sudden  and  deafening  crash.     The  tem- 


320  D'MARS  AFFINITY. 

pie  has  disappeared.     The  Holy  Rock  only  remains. 
From  it  comes  a  voice  saying: 

"The  Messiah  whom  you  so  long  expected  has 
cotne  and  gone.  Heed  His  words :  'Your  riches  are 
accursed.     Cast  them  off.'  " 

"This  vision  is  gradually  transforming  into  an- 
other of  most  resplendent  beauty.  All  the  Hebrews 
of  Graball  are  marching  through  a  valley  of  rare  mag- 
nificence and  the  most  picturesque  scenery.  Moses 
and  a  score  of  the  prophets  lead  the  procession.  Grad- 
ually the  vast  concourse  is  augmented  until  all  the 
pedple  of  Graball  seem  to  have  joined  it.  The  multi- 
tude believe  it  is  judgment  day.  The  valley  grows 
fwider.  The  entrancing  beauty  of  the  scene  is  un- 
speakable. The  procession  has  stopped  at  the  base 
of  a  hig'h  mountain,  whose  gilded  peak  penetrates 
the  azure  sky.  The  mountain  gradually  assumes  the 
form  of  a  cross  of  fire.  By  the  cross  stands  a  huge 
octopedal  dragon.  He  is  made  of  silver  and  gold. 
He  wears  a  crown  of  diamonds  an.d  his  eyes  are  two 
firey  gems.  His  tentacles  seem  to  hold  all  Graball 
in  their  grasp.  Hmanity  wastes  and  withers  in  the 
embrace  of  his  golden  tentacles.  The  cross  gradually 
moves  nearer  and  nearer  to  him.  The  intense  heat 
is  consuming  him.  He  is  powerless  to  escape.  He 
withers  in  agony.  His  ears  and  horns  begin  to  bum. 
The  cross  moves  nearer.  His  tentacles  are  drawn  into 
his  body  by  the  heat.  A  bright  golden  vapor  begins 
to  ascend  from  the  fire  that  consumes  him.  Tt  forms 
in  blazing  clouds  over  the  multitude.  The  clouds  con- 
dense amid  a  terrific  electrical  storm.  Vivid  light- 
ning flashes  amid  the  burning  vapor  and  a  shower  of 
gold  begins  to  fall  upon  the  multitude.  Every  one 
present  catches  a  portion  of  it  as  it  falls.  There  is  no 
scramble  for  it.  Gold  has  little  value  on  the  day  of 
jud'gment. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  321 

"The  golden  dragon  is  finally  consumed.  The 
cross  and  the  mountain  rapidly  take  on  the  form  of  a 
world  of  happiness.  It  revolves  on  its  axis.  It  is  a 
transformed  Graball.  There  are  no  kingly  palaces ; 
no  hovels  of  poverty ;  no  misery  or  wretchedness ;  no 
monuments  to  mark  the  fields  of  strife  where  Christians 
slaughtered  one  another.  This  wonderful  world 
comes  nearer  and  nearer;  now  Uhe  audience  becomes 
part  am'd  parcel  of  its  inhabitants.  Gradually  the  walls 
and  the  high  aJtar  of  the  temi-ple  again  appear  and  there 
aire  the  faithful  just  as  they  sat  prior  to  the  vision. 

"The  Jews  of  Graball  are  holding  a  conference. 
They  all  saw  the  vision.  All  put  the  same  interpreta- 
tion on  it. 

"Equal  rights  and  equal  opportunity  for  all,  'spec- 
ial privileges  for  none/  is  the  interpretation  they  give 
it. 

"The  Jews  are  now  distributing  their  untold  wealth. 
They  have  turned  over  their  bonds  and  mortgages  to 
the  people.  Kings,  princes  and  nobles  fare  no  better 
than  others.  Armies  are  disbanded.  The  magnificent 
deer  parks  and  hunting  grounds  of  the  kings  and 
nobles  and  idle  bilhonaires  are  parcelled  out  among  the 
soldiers,  most  of  whom  have  engaged  in  agriculture. 
They  are  now  producing  insitead  of  destroying,  and 
taxation  is  reduced  accordingly. 

"The  Jews  are  now  disposing  of  the  crowns  and 
the  jewels  of  the  princes  and  nobles.  There  is  little 
dem'and  for  diamond's  or  crowns  since  the  abolition 
of  the  king  business.  They  are  melting  up  these  use- 
less ornaments  together  with  thousands  of  tons  of  costy 
plate  and  minting  the  bullion.  They  are  distributing 
the  money.  There  is  no  wild  scramble  for  the  dollars, 
among  the  idle,  lazy,  thriftless  classes,  who  talk  com- 
munism and  anarchy.  Money  is  distributed  only 
amiong  industrious  moral  people  who  engage  in  agri- 


322  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

culture.  The  slum  element  and  the  criminal  classes 
of  t'he  large  cities  are  very  indignant  over  vvhat  they 
term  partiality  and  discrimination.  But  the  better  ele- 
ment who  voted  for  honesty  and  principle  are  work- 
ing in  harmony,  and  give  little  heed  to  the  idle  vapor- 
ings  from  the  slums  and  political  ward  heelers  who 
find  themselves  without  occupation. 

"The  Jews  have  surrendered  their  vast  holdings 
of  bonds  to  the  governments  and  municipalities,  to 
be  destroyed,  thus  Lifting  a  heavy  interest  burden  from 
the  producers.  Their  immense  blocks  of  trust  bonds 
and  stocks  are  now  in  process  of  distribution  among 
the  employees  of  railways,  mills,  mines,  shops  and  fac- 
tories, who  are  sufficiently  advanced  to  engage  in  co- 
operation. 

"There  is  lan  amusing-  side  to  this  beautiful  pro- 
gram. That  is  the  frantic  efforts  of  these  renowned 
money  makers  to  get  rid  of  their  wealth.  You  see 
they  had  so  much  of  it  that  in  some  cases  it  taxed 
their  well  known  ingenuity  to  distribute  it  fairly  and 
wiseily. 

"Another  pleasing  feature  o'f  progress,  is  the 
way  wealthy  Christians  imitate  the  example  set 
by  the  Jews.  A  man  who  now  endeavors  to  grasp 
wealth  beyond  his  needs  is  considered  a  degenerate 
or  a  foo'l. 

"What  has  become  of  the  helpless  wives  and 
daughters  of  the  poor  kings  and  nobles?"  enquired 
Ethel  with  concern. 

"The  kings,  nobles  and  their  families  and  many 
once  wealthy  women,  are  pittiable  objects.  Many  are 
so  si'lly  land  helpless  that  they  are  unable  to  dress  or 
feed  themselves.  A  few  of  the  more  ambitious  of  the 
younger  diukes  endeavour  to  work  at  mechanical 
trades  but  they  make  little  headway.     Some  are  so 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  323 

awkward    that    they  can^   SKiarcely  open    a  jack-knife 
without  cutting  tiheir  fingers. 

"Sa'd,  pitiable,  is  the  fate  of  the  helpless  noble- 
women.  The  poor  things  are  really  objects  of  sym- 
pathy, viotims  of  evil  environment.  Mosft  of  them 
are  kind  and  good-hearted.  But  they  are  helpless,  un- 
able even  to  wait  on  themselves  and  were  it  not  for 
the  kindness  of  the  workin.g-girls  they  would  suffer 
seriously,  physically  as  well  as  mentally.  But  the 
second  generation  of  nobility  wii'l  intermarry  and 
Bmalgamate  with  the  laboring  classes  and  the  infusion 
of  fresh  and  vigorous  blood  into  their  veins  will  great- 
ly improve  them  and  soon  they  may  become  fairly  use- 
ful citizens. 

"So  it  seems  that  the  Hebrew  so  long  subjected 
to  persecution  .and  albuse  by  h}^ocrites  and  Pharisees 
wearing  the  mask  of  the  Redeemer  were  preserved 
intact  for  a  purpose,"  remarked  D'Mars. 

"It  so  seems.  These  things  come  in  an  unex- 
pected wfay.  After  conversion  the  Hebrews  now  lab- 
or with  the  same  zeal  for  the  conversion  of  the  whole 
of  Graball  that  they  formerly  exhibited  in  the  accum- 
ulation of  wealth.  You  know  what  that  means,"  said 
Uriah. 

"Can  this  instrument  be  so  adjusted  that  we  can 
see  our  former  bodies  and  our  old  friends  in  Graball?" 
enquire*d  Ethel. 

"It  can  be  so  adjusted,"  replied  Uriah.  After  a 
pause  he  continued:  "You  can,  not  only  see  your 
friends  but  by  means  of  our  special  trumpeit  you  can 
converse  with  them  possibly.  But  I  would  not  advise 
you  to  try  the  experiment." 

"Why  not?"  queried  Ethel. 

"You  might  desire  to  return  to  Graball." 

"Can  we  return  if  we  so  desire?"  enquired 
D'Mars. 


324  U'MAES  AFFINITY. 

"If  your  bodies  are  undecayed  you  can  return. 
You  can  easily  tell  when  you  see  them." 

"I  do  not  believe  that  I  care  to  return  to  Graball, 
but  I  am  so  anxious  to  see  and  have  a  talk,  if  possible, 
with  poor  Edith.  I  know  she  is  so  sad.  If 
I  could  only  speak  with  her.  By  the  way  I  once  prom- 
ised to  return  and  speak  with  her,  should  I  pass  over 
first,"  said  Ethel  as  tears  came  to  her  eyes. 

Uriah  .adjusted  the  lenz  and  then  admonished 
them  to  keep  calm.  They  were  quite  likely  to  appear 
to  some  of  their  dearest  friends  should  their  minds  be 
enrapport  and  under  undue  excitement  danger  might 
result. 

D'Mians  and  Ethel  noiw  took  a  look  through  the 
special  lenz.  It  was  focused  on  New  York.  They 
quickly  located  the  Vanstine  residence.  Ethel  uttered 
an  exclamaition,  but  quickly  reglained  her  cornposure. 

"We  are  ndt  yet  intered.  There  are  our  bodies, 
laid  out  side  by  side,"  exclaimed  Ethel. 

"And  you  are  clothed  in  your  bridal  dress,"  re- 
marked D'Mars. 

"How  we  have  changed,"  said  Ethel  with  a  shud- 
der, as  she  compared  her  body  with  her  present  self 
in  the  parlor  mirror. 

"You  must  remember  that  we  have  been  dead 
three  days,"  suggested  D'Mars. 

"Your  mortal  bodies  have  scarcely  undergone  any 
change,  it  is  you  who  have  changed,"  remarked  Uriah, 
who  also  examined  the  bodies  through  the  telescope. 

"O.  there  comes  Edith  and  father.  Poor  Edith! 
She  has  been  crying.  How  father  has  failed.  If  I 
were  only  there  to  comfort  him. 

"I  feared  such  a  result.  Your  bodies  have  not 
undergone  a  particle  of  decay.  Should  you  wish  to  re- 
turn, your  bodies  may  come  to  life  in  an  instant,"  said 
Uriah. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  325 

"Then  what?" 

"You  must  go  through  mortality  and  take  the 
chances',  replied  Uriah. 

"O,  Edith  is  so  sad.  She  is  weeping  and  kissing 
me  and  calling  on  me  to  fulfill  my  promise — to  return 
to  her.    I  ought  to  go  to  Edith,"  exclaimed  Ethel. 


326  D'MAES  AFFINITY. 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

Wed  in  The  Sunshinei. 

It  was  a  delightful  May  morning.  All  nature 
was  arrayed  in  Vernal  bloom  and  bathed  in  sunshine. 
Edith  Rockwell  had  completed  her  morning  work 
early,  preparatory  to  a  shopping  tour  with  Ethel. 
They  were  preparing  for  the  double  wedding  which 
was  only  one  month  off.  They  desired  a  plain,  simple 
wedding.  But  fashionable  society  protested.  Nothing 
short  of  an  elaborate  social  function  would  do.  Ethel 
partly  consented,  but  insisted  that  she  and  Edith  perso- 
nally would  not  indulge  anything  very  elaborate.  On 
this  compromise,  however,  many  an  elaborate  trouseau 
was  being  prepared  for  the  eventful  occasion. 

As  Edith  looked  down  the  driveway  she  was  sur- 
prised to  see  Horace  alight  from  his  carriage.  What 
could  it  mean.  He  never  before  called  so  early.  She 
noticed  that  he  was  agitated.  His  pale  face  and  nervous 
movement  told  too  plainly  of  the  excitement  he  sought 
to  conceal.  What  could  be  the  matter.  Could  some- 
thing have  happened  to  Mr.  Vanstine?  He  had  been 
complaining  for  a  day  or  two  of  vertigo. 

Horace  was  admitted  at  once.  He  endeavored 
to  smile  as  he  fondly  embraced  Edith  and  kissed  her. 
He  then  led  her  to  a  sofa,  said  he  had  startling  news 
for  her  and  admonished  her  to  be  calm. 

"Tell  me.  I  know  something  awful  has  hap- 
pened." said  Edith,  as  she  tried  to  read  the  message 
in  his  eyes. 

"D'Mars  is  very  sick.  We  have  grave  fears"  re- 
plied Horace  in  husky  tones. 

"Is  he  living?"  enquired  Edith  with  fixed  eyes 
on  Horace,  for  she  feared  the  worst. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  327 

"We  hope  so.  He  was  found  this  morning  un- 
conscious on  his  couch.  To  all  appearances  dead.  But 
the  phycisians  say  it  may  be  a  trance." 

"He  cannot  be  dead.  No.  He  is  not  dead.  Poor 
Ethel.  Does  she  know?"  exclaimed  Edith  in  broken 
tones  that  almost  suppresed  her  voice. 

"You  and  I  are  to  break  the  news  to  Ethel.  You 
must  brace  up  for  it  will  be  an  awful  blow  to  her.  You 
must  be  her  comforter.  While  the  physicians  give 
little  encouragement,  it  may  be  a  trance." 

Edith  braced  up.  She  realized  the  importance  of 
her  sad  mission.  "I  must  see  Ethel  at  once.  I  shall 
call  her  by  phone  and  announce  my  coming,"  said 
Edith,  as  she  arose  to  her  feet. 

The  phone  rang  before  she  reached  it.  It  was 
the  Vanstine  phone. 

"Come  over  quickly,  Ethel  needs  you.,,  was  the 
message.  She  could  get  nothing  more.  The  phone 
was  hung  up. 

"Ethel  has  heard  of  it  and  is  overcome,  let  us  go 
to  her  at  once,"  said  Horace. 

They  were  promptly  admitted.  The  porter  showed 
visible  signs  of  mental  distress. 

Ethel's  maid  was  in  tears.  It  was  evident  that 
they  were  in  trouble. 

"How  is  Ethel?"  inquired  Edith  of  the  girl. 

She  only  pointed  to  Ethel's  parlor,  shook  her  head 
and  cried.  On  entering  they  found  Mr.  Vanstine  the 
picture  of  despair.  He  reclined  on  a  sofa  and  evi- 
dently had  aged  years.  The  happy  smile  was  gone. 
He  moaned  as  though  his  heart  would  break.  The 
family  physician,  the  only  calm  person  in  the  house, 
approached  them. 

"How  is  Ethel?"  inquired  Horace. 

Edith  awaited  the  answer  as  though  her  life  de- 
pended on  it. 


328  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

I  fear  that  she  is  gone.  Looks  Hke  a  case  of 
heart  failure."  repHed  the  physician. 

"You  must  break  the  news  to  D'Mars,  Horace. 
I  am  unfit  for  such  a  mission,"  said  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"Did  she  arise  this  morning?"  inquired  Horace. 

"No.  She  must  have  died  about  midnight.  She 
is  quite  cold,"  said  the  physician. 

Edith  had  entered  Ethel's  room  and  was  calling 
her  endearing  names  and  sobbing. 

"Ethel  dear,  speak  to  me.  It  is  Edith.  Speak 
to  your  own  Edith,"  sobbed  the  heartbroken  girl,  and 
then  she  fell  in  a  swoon  on  the  corpse  of  her  dearest 
friend. 

Horace  was  in  a  quandry.  How  could  he  break  the 
news  of  D'Mars  death  to  Mr.  Vanstine.  Edith  was 
in  a  critical  condition.     Something  must  be  done. 

He  looked  upon  the  inanimate  form  of  Ethel. 
With  a  peaceful  smile  on  her  face  she  semed  to 
sleep,  calmly  as  a  child.  Another  famous  physician 
arrived.  He  semed  encouraged  when  he  first  saw 
Ethel,  but  after  a  careful  examination,  he  shook  his 
head  as  he  gathered  up  his  instruments,  remarking, 
"The  vital  spark  is  extinguished." 

Edith  and  Mr.  Vanstine  broke  out  afresh  and 
Horace  himself  was  not  sure  of  his  voice.  But  he 
knew  that  it  would  never  do  for  all  to  break  down, 
so  by  a  superhuman  afifort  he  remarked  that  it  was  only 
a  case  of  suspended  animation  and  that  Ethel  would 
be  herself  again.  The  physicans  exchanged  glances 
and  expressed  the  hope  that  his  prediction  would  prove 
true. 

"She  is  already  cold.  On  what  do  you  base  your 
prediction?"  inquired  the  expert  physician. 

Mr.  Vanstine  and  Edith  anxiously  awaited  the 
answer.    Horace  concluded  that  as  Edith  already  knew 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  329 

of  D'Mars  death  he  may  as  well  tell  all  now  to  Mr. 
Vanstine. 

"D'j\Iars  passed  into  the  same  state  Ethel  is  in 
about  the  same  time.  The  physicians  believe  he  is 
in  a  state  of  trance,  and  they  have  hopes  for  his  revival. 
If  he  revives  Ethel  will  also  revive.  Let  us  not  take 
this  serious  view  of  it.  I  believe  they  will  both  return 
to  their  bodies." 

The  physicians  glanced  ominously  at  Horace  and 
then  at  each  other  and  retired. 

This  view  of  the  case  cheered  up  Edith,  who 
ventured  the  information  that  Ethel  and  D'Mars  had 
often  made  tours  of  the  world  in  dreams  and  that  in 
this  case  they  may  have  ventured  on  a  more  extended 
tour  possibly  missed  their  way,  but  would  return. 

D'Mars'  body  was  promptly  removed  to  the  Van- 
stine residence,  as  soon  as  the  coroner  had  declared 
his  death,  the  result  of  heart  failure.  Both  corpse  were 
laid  out  side  by  side  in  the  great  drawing  room  where 
they  had  enjoyed  so  many  happy  hours  together.  They 
were  now  cold,  and  intimate  friends  who  had  called 
noticed  that  the  rigidy  of  the  fell  destroyer's  hand  was 
leaving  its  imprint  on  the  once  happy  faces. 

The  evening  papers,  under  sensational  headlines 
announced  the  sad  news  and  the  newsboys  loaded  up 
with  extra  copies  called  out  "all  about  the  death  of 
DMars  and  Ethel  Vanstine." 

Most  complimentary  editorial  mention  was 
made  in  the  afternoon  papers,  especially  of  Ethel. 
D'Mars'  enormous  fortune  was  discussed,  and  as  he 
had  no  heirs,  some  speculation  was  indulged  as  to 
the  distribution  of  it.  One  paper  claimed  that  in  the 
absence  of  a  will  or  of  heirs,  it  would  go  to  the  state 
while  another  thought  it  would  go  to  Greater  New 
York.  One  paper  stated  that  this  immense  fortune 
would  pay  off  the  entire  debt  and  provide  a  sinking 


330  D'MABS  AFEINITT. 

fund  that  would  defray  the  expenses  of  the  city  for 
all  time  to  come. 

During  the  afternoon  a  board  of  expert  physicians 
called  and  after  a  most  careful  examination  of  the 
bodies  pronounced  life  extinct. 

Edith  and  Mr.  Vanstine  now  broke  down  com- 
pletely, but  Messrs.  Rockwell  and  Horace  still  held 
to  their  theory  that  they  would  come  out  of  their 
trance  none  the  worse  for  their  experience. 

The  morning  papers  eulogized  D'Mars  and  Ethel, 
told  of  their  many  secret  charities  to  the  poor  and 
indulged  a  world  of  speculation.  It  was  the  opinion 
of  medical  experts  that  both  expired  at  the  same  mo- 
ment. There  was  no  evidence  of  suicide.  Such  a  theory 
was  not  even  thought  of  by  the  physicians.  But,  both 
retired  in  the  best  of  health,  why  should  they  die  at  the 
same  moment?  Here  was  a  mystery  that  none 
could  solve.  The  belief  was  expressed  that  the  bond 
of  affinity  between  them'  was  so  strong  that  when  one 
died  the  other  followed  out  of  sympathy. 

Edith  was  depressed.  "Ethel, "she  said,  had 
promised  to  come  to  her  in  a  dream,  should  she  pass 
over  first,  but  she  failed  to  come.  "I  saw  her  and 
D'Mars  in  my  dreams  last  night.  They  were  far 
away  and  happy.  Some  vast  impassable  gulf  rolled 
between  us.  She  appeared  younger  and  more  beauti- 
ful than  I  ever  saw  her.  D'Mars,  too,  was  beautiful. 
They  were  exceedingly  happy,  but  they  semed  so  far 
away.    I  fear  they  will  never  return." 

All  day  long  friends  visited  the  desolate  home 
of  Ethel,  Crowds  of  poor  thronged  the  streets  around 
the  house  and  wept.  It  had  just  been  learned  that  Ethel 
and  D'Mars  had  privately  dispensed  millions  of  money 
among  the  poor.  Thinly-clad  women  pressed  infants 
to  their  heaving  bosoms  as  they    sobbed    pitteously. 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  331 

They  had  lost  their  best — perhaps  in  some  cases  their 
only  friends. 

As  the  day  passed,  the  evidences  of  death  be- 
came more  clearly  marked.  Gradually  the  work  of 
the  fell  destroyer  became  more  clearly  defined.  The 
smiling  features  began  to  give  way  to  rigidity  and 
the  trance  theory  was  abandoned.  At  a  late  hour 
Edith  came  to  take  her  parting  farewell  for  the  night. 

Again  and  again  she  kissed  the  cold  lips,  that 
would  never  again  utter  words  of  love  and  encourage- 
ment. 

"If  she  could  only  speak  one  word  to  me,  what  a 
comfort  it  would  be,"  sobbed  Edith,  as  she  struggled 
with  her  first  great  sorrow  since  the  death  of  her 
mother. 

"It  is  I — your  own  Edith.  Speak  to  me  one 
word.  Tell  me  that  you  only  sleep,"  said  Edith  as 
she  pressed  the  cold  lips  for  a  final  farewell. 

The  lips  seemed  to  be  growing  warm.  Was  it 
imagination,  thought  Edith.  She  kissed  them  again 
and  discovered  the  slightest  respiration.  Ethel's  heart 
was  beating.   A  slight  tremor  shook  her  frame. 

Edith  was  now  overcome.  Was  Ethel  about  to 
fulfill  her  promise  and  then  depart  forever?  Or  was 
she  returning  to  life.  She  aided  Ethel's  respiration 
moved  her  gently  and  rubbed  her  hands. 

Ethel  was  rapidly  recovering  but  Edith  was  now 
in  a  quandary.  What  might  be  the  effect  on  Ethel 
should  she  see  D'Mars'  corpse  by  her  side.  Ever  cool 
and  self  possessed  in  an  emergency  she  quickly  de- 
cided that  D'Mars  must  be  removed  from  the  room. 
She  accordingly  touched  the  bell  which  quickly  sum- 
moned Horace  from  an  adjoining  room. 

So  intent  was  Ethel  in  her  ministrations  to  Ethel 
that  she  never  even  noticed  D'Mars,  who  was  strug- 


332  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

g-ling  to  arouse  himself  from  what  seemed  to  him  a 
nightmare. 

"Good  heavens !"  exclaimed  Horace,  as  he  saw 
D'Mars'  struggles  and  seizing  his  arms  he  shook  him 
vigorously. 

Edith  turned  and  seeing  that  D'Mars  was  also 
revived  under  Horace's  vigorous  treatment,  she  gave 
way  to  alternate  tears  and  laughter. 

Ethel  was  now  breathing  quite  freely.  She  open- 
ed her  eyes  and  in  response  to  Edith  said  she  was  ach- 
ing all  over. 

Messrs.  Vanstine,  Rockwell  and  many  other 
friends  were  quickly  on  the  scene.  The  usual  res- 
toratives were  applied  and  within  an  hour  the  pa- 
tients were  able  to  sit  up  and  converse. 

The  press  reporters,  the  hardest  worked  and  poor- 
est paid  toilers  on  earth,  were  quickly  on  hand  and 
clamorous  for  an  interview.  They  were  informed  by 
Horace  that  nothing  could  be  given  out  to-night,  even 
to  his  own  paper,  except  that  the  dead  had  come 
to  life.  "That  alone,"  remarked  Horace,  with  a 
smile,  "is  quite  an  item." 

"We  shall  never  go  back  on  D'Mars — he  can  al- 
ways be  depended  on  for  a  bang  up  sensation,"  re- 
marked the  chieftain  of  the  press  brigade  as  they  de- 
parted. 

D'Mars  and  Ethel  positively  declined  to  give  out 
to  the  public,  the  story  of  their  trance  experience 
in  other  worlds.  But  that  it  had  worked  a 
wonderful  change  in  them  was  evident.  Its 
efifect  on  their  close  friends  was  also  observed.  All 
harshness  of  expression  against  either  rich  or  poor 
was  entirely  eliminated  from  Truths  Torch. 

"I  am  through  with  the  error  of  judging  people 
or  criticizing  the  motives  and  acts  of  those  who  are 
considered  the  worst.     Truth  is  only  that  which  no 


D'MAES  AFFINITY.  333 

one  denies.  Only  Him  who  knows  the  past  and  the 
future  is  able  to  say  who  is  making  progress  and  who 
is  retrograding.  I  believe  in  everybody  and  I  sym- 
pathize with  all." 

The  recent  startling  events  were  n®t  permitted  to 
interfere  with  the  double  wedding  of  Ethel  and 
D'Mars,  Edith  and  Horace.  Ethel  had  partially  con- 
sented to  a  high-wrought  social  function  and  many  an 
elaborate  trouseau  was  under  way  in  the  fashion  em- 
poriums. While  such  pageant  was  distasteful  to  her 
and  even  seemed  vulgar,  she  did  not  consider  it  wise 
to  carry  her  opposition  to  mercenary  fashion  to  a 
point  that  would  offend  many  excellent  people  who 
were  not  yet  sufficiently  advanced  to  renounce  the 
tyranny  and  folly. 

Since  Ethel's  observations  in  Mecca  and  Pindarus 
and  other  worlds,  her  mind  and  ideas  of  duty  had 
undergone  a  decided  change.  She  now  regarded  fash- 
ionable display  and  adornment  of  the  body  as  primary 
vices  with  which  there  should  be  no  compromise.  She 
and  Edith  were  in  a  social  position  to  give  an  object 
lesson  and  set  an  example  that  would  accomplish 
more  than  years  of  mere  talk  and  platitude. 

Edith  readily  fell  in  with  Ethel's  views.  D'Mars 
and  Horace  were  delighted,  while  Messrs.  Rockwell 
and  Vanstine  were  prouder  than  ever  of  the  good  sense 
of  their  daughters. 

But  these  social  iconoclasts  were  not  to  enjoy  clear 
sailing.  Their  new  program  fell  upon  the  Newport 
fashionables  like  a  cold  wet  blanket.  Generally  de- 
void of  talent,  their  only  mark  of  distinction  was 
their  wealth.  That  could  be  displayed  only  in  gowns, 
hats  and  gems.  Under  this  new  social  dispensation 
a  shop  girl  or  a  mere  typewriter  could  size  up  with 
the  daughter  of  Mrs.  Roulet  or  the  Vanderhydens. 

A  committee  of  five  ladies  representing  nearly  one 


334  D'MABS  AFFINITY 

thousand  million  dollars  called  on  Ethel  and  Edith  to 
ascertain  the  full  extent  of  what  seemed  to  them  an  un- 
justifiable assault  upon  the  highest  and  most  potent 
female  prerogative,  and  if  possible  reason  them  out 
of  their  wild  and  whimsical  fancy. 

Ethel  laughed  over  their  fears  for  the  downfall 
of  society.  "Why,"  said  Ethel,  "it  is  not  gowns  and 
laces  and  hats  and  feathers  and  jewels  that  constitute 
high  grade  society.  If  it  were,  the  merest  boors 
among  the  parvenue  rich,  could  outdo  you  ladies  who 
represent  culture  and  refinement  as  well  as  wealth." 

"Of  course  you  and  Edith  tower  above  all  aspir- 
ants. Your  social  position  is  assured.  You  can  af- 
ford to  dress  in  cottonade  and  your  whim  will  be  re- 
garded as  a  charming  eccentricity.  You  will  be  flatter- 
ed and  commended.  But  it  is  different  with  us.  Our 
daughters  are  comparatively  unknown.  You  know  that 
young  men  admire  a  tasty  and  attractive  girl.  It  is 
to  attract  the  eyes  of  fastidious  and  wealthy  men  that 
girls  will  sell  heir  very  soul.  Here  is  an  occasion 
that  gives  our  daughters  a  chance  to  come  out  in  pre- 
sentable form.  We  all  admit  that  the  feathers  make 
the  bird.  If  this  ideal  of  yours  should  become  gen- 
eral the  possessors  of  wealth  would  have  no  advan- 
tages over  the  comparatively  poor." 

"The  possessors  of  wealth,"  repeated  Ethel  ab- 
stractedly. "What  is  wealth?  Can  anything  be  con- 
sidered wealth  except  happiness  and  contentment  ?  Can 
any  right-minded  person  be  happy  who  knows  that 
she  is  making  others  discontented,  envious  and  miser- 
able? You  ladies  have  gone  over  this  problem  with 
Edith  and  I  in  our  University  talks.  We  have  prac- 
tically agreed  that  worry  is  woman's  worst  foe  and 
that  this  mad  whirl  of  mercenary  fashion  is  the  chief 
cause  of  worry.  The  time  has  come  for  me  to  put 
into  practice  what  I  enjoin  in  precept.     My  duty  is 


D'MARS  AFFINITY.  335 

clear.  I  believe  that  we  are  actuated  by  a  higher 
purpoes  than  a  mere  whim.  You  speak  of  women 
selling  their  very  soul  to  keep  in  the  fashionable 
current.  I  hope  there  are  not  many  such,  but  if  there 
is  one,  do  not  we  assume  an  awful  responsibility  should 
we  be  accessory  to  her  sin?" 

The  ladies  saw  that  Ethel  was  invulnerable  and 
they  were  forced  to  admit  the  soundness  of  her  posi- 
tion. Knowing  that  Ethel  and  Edith  had  a  powerful 
following  among  the  best  classes  and  that  they  com- 
manded the  situation,  the  committee  surrendered  grace- 
fully, and  entered  into  a  discussion  with  Ethel  as  to  the 
extent  to  which  the  iconoclasm  was  to  be  carried. 

"We  shall  be  wedded  in  the  sunshine,"  said  Ethel. 
"No  gilded  artificial  canopy  shall  shut  us  away  from 
the  light  of  life  and  health.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
sun  shall  sing  the  wedding  march  and  the  veiled  stars 
shall  be  the  silent  witnesses.  D'Mars  and  I  are  affin- 
ities. Our  union  was  consummated  before  the  fall. 
This  marriage  ceremony  only  makes  the  announcement 
of  what  ever  was.  It  is  proper  and  essential  to  the 
preservation  of  society  and  being  necessary  it  is  sacred. 
Edith  and  Horace  Colston  are  also  affinities  from  the 
beginning.  The  remainder  of  their  mortal  lives  shall 
be  one  balmy  summer  day.  The  sky  of  their  future 
is  unclouded.  There  are  no  clouds  except  those  we 
make  for  ourselves." 

"Isn't  such  faith  lovely — inspiring?"  remarked 
Mrs.  Fon-du-lac  to  Mrs.  Carbon, 

"How  do  you  reach  such  elevating  ideals?"  in- 
quired Mrs.  Allenforth. 

"Such  ideals  are  natural.  All  children  inherit 
more  or  less  of  them  until  they  learn  to  deceive  and 
distrust  and  suspect  everybody,"  replied  Ethel. 

The  wedding  day  opened  inauspiciously.  It  was 
a  close,  murky  June  morning.     The  pent  up  elements 


336  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

of  nature  were  about  to  break  through  their  prison 
walls.  Dark  and  portentous  clouds  scurried  across 
the  leaden  sky.  Forked  lightning  ever  and  anon  dart- 
ed from  the  multifolds  of  a  heavy  threatening  cloud 
that  hung  over  the  western  horizon.  Ten  o'clock 
a.  m.  was  the  hour  set  for  the  ceremony  and  a  shady 
glen  in  Central  Park  the  spot. 

The  high  contracting  parties  and  their  friends 
and  guests  rode  out  to  the  park  in  automobiles.  The 
line  of  the  procession  was  thronged  with  people  all 
anxious  to  see  the  distinguished  parties.  Messrs.  Van- 
stine  and  Rockwell  headed  the  procession,  followd  by 
the  bridal  party.  They  were  greeted  by  cheers  on  all 
sides.  Acres  of  people  awaited  them  notwithstanding 
the  storm  which  seemed  ready  to  break  at  any  moment. 

The  brides  approached  the  platform  from  the  right, 
leaning  on  the  arms  of  their  fathers.  The  grooms 
came  upon  the  left.  There  were  no  attendants.  The 
marine  band  played  the  wedding  march.  Ten  thous- 
and voices,  chiefly  children,  sang  an  accompaniement. 

Charming  in  the  rare  beauty  of  purity  the  brides 
vv^ere  artistically  attired  in  traveling  suits.  They  carried 
bouquets  that  matched  the  buttonaires  of  the  grooms. 
Everyone  had  read  in  the  papers  Ethel's  predic- 
tion that  she  would  be  "wedded  in  the  sunshine." 
They  thought  of  this  when  she  took  her  place  by 
the  side  of  D'Mars  and  cast  an  upward  look  at  the 
threatening  clouds.  Edith  evidently  understood  that 
Ethel's  desire  to  wed  in  the  sunshine  almost  amounted 
to  a  superstition.  The  gowned  clergyman  and  two 
deacons  came  forward.  The  ceremony  was  about  to 
begin. 

To  the  surprise  of  all,  the  clouds  parted  and  the 
sun  shone  in  gorgeous  splendor  on  the  scene.  Ethel's 
face  was  wreathed  in   a  smile  of  benediction.     Her 


B'MABS  AFFINITY.  337 

wish  was  granted.     A  murmur  of  surpressed  applause 
rolled  over  the  assemblage. 

The  ceremony  was  brief  as  it  was  beautiful. 
The  words  that  pronounced  them  one  were  said. 
D'Mars'  prediction  that  he  would  some  day  find  his 
affinity  was  fulfilled. 

A  luncheon  was  served  at  the  Vanstine  mansion, 
where  Ethel  was  hostess.  It  was  strictly  private,  the 
brides,  grooms  and  the  brides  fathers  only  participat- 
ing. The  question  of  a  bridal  tour  was  not  yet  settled, 
when  Edith  made  a  startling  suggestion.  It  was  noth- 
ing less  than  a  trip  to  Venus  and  Mercury. 

Ethel  at  once  fell  in  with  Edith,  declaring  that 
Pindarus  was  an  ideal  place  to  spend  their  honey- 
moon. 

Mr.  Vanstine  heartily  indorsed  the  idea  and  Mr. 
Rockwell  too  approved  it.  The  young  husbands  were 
not  so  enthusiastic  over  the  new  plan  of  honeymoon. 

"Suppose  we  should  not  be  able  to  return?"  sug- 
gested Horace. 

"Why  return  ?"  remarked  Ethel.  "We  would  take 
father  and  Mr.  Rockwell  along.  After  they  bathed  in 
the  river  of  life  they  would  be  young  men.  spry  as 
boys." 

"A  capital  idea.  Come  boys,  let  us  all  go  to 
Venus,"  said  Mr.  Vanstine  enthusiastically. 

"Evidently  fearing  that  the  joke  might  take  a 
serious  turn,  D'Mars  came  to  the  rescue  of  Horace, 
who  exhibited  symptoms  of  alarm,  and  declared  that 
he  believed  they  had  duties  to  perform  in  the  world  yet 
and  they  ought  not  try  to  evade  them,  for  pleasure  and 
enjoyment. 

Horace  entertained  similar  views,  but  inasmuch 
as  he  was  assailing  Edith's  proposition,  he  hedged  with 
the  remark  that  latter  on  he  thought  such  a  tour  would 
be  delightful  for  a  change. 


338  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

"The  trip  would  be  so  delightful  for  all  of  us. 
After  we  reached  Venus  there  would  be  eight  of  the 
party — and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Colston  would  make  ten," 
persisted  Ethel. 

"Five  brides  and  five  grooms,"  remarked  Mr. 
Rockwell. 

"Let  us  try  it,"  said  Mr.  Vanstine. 

"We  could  all  go  on  to  M€rcur}\  I  know  we 
would  enjoy  a  sojourn  in  Pindarus,"  said  Edith. 

"And  a  banquet  at  the  Alpha.  How  I  long  for 
those  fine -wines,"  said  Ethel. 

"It  would  be  an  ideal  trip  I  am  sure,"  remarked 
D'Mars,  "but  we  have  duties  to  perform  here  that  we 
may  not  abandon  for  mere  gratification." 

Mr.  Vanstine  laughed  heartily  over  what  he  con- 
sidered the  boys  lack  of  enterprise  and  courage. 

"We  are  joking  on  a  very  serious  subject,"  said 
Horace.  "There  are  four  absent  ones.  I  just  remem- 
ber my  father  and  I  have  a  very  distinct  recollection 
of  my  sainted  mother.  I  feel  their  presence  here  at 
this  moment,"  remarked  Horace  in  a  voice  that  be- 
trayed emotion. 

"I  have  no  recollection  of  my  parents,"  said 
D'Mars.  "But  I  know  they  are  affinities  and  that  they 
have  passed  on  and  sometime,  somewhere  in  the  cycles 
of  eternity  we  shall  meet." 

The  Venus  trip  was  abandoned  and  later  in  the  af- 
ternoon the  party  set  out  for  the  Rockwell  cottage 
and  hunting  grounds  in  the  Adirondacks. 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  339 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

Love's  Victory  Over  Seee. 

Twenty  years  have  come  and  gone  since  the  re- 
markable events  just  related  transpired.  Messrs.  Rock- 
well and  Vanstine  have  passed  on  and  joined  their 
affinities  in  Venus.  Indeed  they  often  visited  that  far 
away  world  in  dreams,  and  in  spirit  commmunion  with 
their  loved  ones,  renewed  the  joys  of  youth  and  verified 
the  hopes  of  age.  So  when  the  final  parting  came  it 
was  a  delightful  and  easy  transition  from  the  carnal 
struggle  to  the  higher  life. 

D'Mars  and  Colston  now  had  full  control  of  the 
affairs  of  the  former  syndicate.  Colston  was  general 
manager  of  Truths  Torch,  which  was  now  published 
in  one  hundred'  and  twenty-five  cities  simultaneously 
and  reached  daily  sales  of  fifteen  million  copies.  It 
was  financed  on  the  co-operative  plan  and  had  five  mil- 
lion stockholders  who  received  a  fifty  per  cent  annual 
dividend. 

D'Mars  organized  several  of  the  leading  trusts 
on  the  co-operative  plan.  Very  little  legislation  was 
required.  It  was  merely  a  matter  of  extending  the 
co-operative  trust  principle  to  a  wider  circle  of  people — 
extending  the  benefits  of  economy  to  all  who  desired 
to  participate. 

But  there  was  plenty  of  opposition.  It  came  from 
two  sources:  i,  arrogant,  greedy  capitalists  who  be- 
lieved in  special  privileges  and  monopoly  and  2,  from 
a  class  of  toilers  who  believed  in  the  wage  system 
and  would  rather  live  from  hand  to  mouth  than  save 
money  and  by  co-operation  become  their  own  employ- 
ers. In  their  determination  to  maintain  the  wage  sys- 
tem these  antagonistic  forces  combined  against  the  co- 


340  D'MABS  AFFINITY. 

operators  and  maintained  the  farce  of  making  pros- 
perity through  the  agency  of  poHtical  machines  and 
"graft." 

In  order  to  interest  wage-workers  in  co-operation 
D'Mars  issued  the  stock  of  the  newly  organized  trusts 
in  shares  of  one  dollar  each.  In  addition  to  oppor- 
tunity for  small  investors  he  offered  a  bonus  in  stock 
to  each  employee  equal  to  all  he  purchased  up  to  one 
thousand  dollars.  A  holding  of  $i,ooo  was  consider- 
ed sufficient  to  make  each  holder  his  own  employer 
so  far  as  capital  was  concerned. 

Large  numbers  of  the  more  intelligent  and  thrifty 
wage-workers  embraced  this  opportunity  to  become 
their  own  employers.  But  these  toilers  were  ridiculed 
and  denounced  as  monopolists  by  the  wage  advocates. 
It  was  D'Mars'  co-operative  attempt  in  the  Australian 
gold  mines  repeated,  but  with  better  success.  Many 
extensive  industries  became  entirely  co-operative. 
Large  co-operative  family  supply  stores  were  founded 
and  many  of  these  conrtoled  the  distribution  of  goods 
and  wares  in  whole  communities. 

It  was  observed,  by  thoughtful  people,  that  as 
the  toilers  became  interested  in  co-operation  and  felt 
its  benefits,  they  deposited  less  of  their  money  In  the 
"saloon  banks"  and  more  in  the  co-operative  banks. 
Clergymen  were  not  slow  to  see  this  result  and  many 
of  them  declared  that  the  gospel  favored  co-operation 
rather  than  competitive  waste  and  strife. 

But  co-operation  still  had  powerful  and  determined 
opposition.  It  taught  men  to  look  into  affairs  and  think 
and  act  for  themselves.  This  was  bad  for  the  politi- 
cians, walking  delegates,  "ward  workers"  and  "graft- 
ers." It  injured  promotion,  speculation,  stock  water- 
ing and  gambling.  It  also  uprooted  prejudice  and 
selfishness,  all  of  which  was  very  bad  for  the  bosses 
and  agitators  who  believed  in  government  by  injunc- 


D'MABS  AFFINITY.  341 

tion,  boycotts  and  strikes.     But  the  world  was  moving 
and  the  harmony  of  progress  was  asserting  itself. 

Through  the  work  of  Truths  Torch  in  spread- 
ing the  light  and  the  object  lessons  in  co-operation 
set  by  D"]\Iars  the  great  syndicate  wealth  was  rapidly 
helping  the  people  to  help  themselves. 

Ethel  and  Edith  found  time  from  domestic  du- 
ties to  continue  warfare  against  mercenary  fashion 
and  its  twin  sister  worry.  They  now  had  plenty  of 
help  among  the  most  prominent  society  women.  They 
discovered  that  all  women  mean  well,  and  that  it  is  only 
a  matter  of  getting  their  energies  turned  to  something 
useful.  Improved  health  resulted  from  elevation  of 
ideals,  and  the  substitution  of  the  natural  for  the  arti- 
ficial order  of  social  life. 

On  the  Hudson,  near  Tarry-town,  is  a  beautiful 
plateau  whose  rich  green  sward  is  brightened  by  glints 
of  sunlight  which  come  down  through  interlacing 
branches  of  tall  trees,  forming  a  sort  of  variegated 
patchwork.  Above  this  wealth  of  frondage  arises  the 
towers  of  two  stately  and  picturesque  cottages.  Broad 
drives  and  serpentine  w^alks  lead  through  ample  lawns 
into  the  labyrinths  of  shrubbery  and  flowers.  The 
evening  sun  is  dipping  behind  the  palisades  while  his 
arms  extend  to  the  zenith  and  toy  with  the  tresses  of 
the  evening  star.  The  broad  Hudson  winds  its  majes- 
tic way  far  beneath  this  sylvan  retreat.  In  addition 
to  natural  scenery ;  legendary  lore  and  tradition,  have 
combined  with  art  to  render  this  a  fairyland  of  inspir- 
ation for  poetic  and  spiritual  natures. 

These  are  the  summer  homes  of  Ethel  and  Edith. 
The  ladies  sit  on  the  veranda  and  enjoy  the  sport  of  a 
dozen  children  on  the  lawn.  An  automobile  appears 
way  down  the  driveway.  D'Mars  and  Horace  are  re- 
turning from  the  city. 


342  D' MABS  AFFINITY. 

"There  comes  my  papa!"  exclaims  a  bright  little 
girl  of  five  summers. 

"And  my  papa,  too,"  chimes  in  a  romping  boy. 

The  children  run  down  the  drive  to  meet  the 
papas  and  receive  the  kiss  that  is  never  forgotten. 

The  sun  has  long  abandoned  his  tryst  with  the 
evening  star  and  laid  his  head  upon  the  broad  Pacific 
The  full  moon  is  well  advanced  in  the  heavens.  Its 
broken  reflection  like  golden  goblets  sink  in  the  multi- 
tudinous riplings  of  the  great  river.  Enwraped  in 
silvery  lights  and  shadows  all  nature  slumbers  in 
sweet  repose.  The  silence  is  disturbed  only  by  the  sub- 
dued! voices  and  almost  noiseless  footfalls  of  two 
lovers  as  they  pass  up  the  lawn. 

Ethel  V.  Colston  and  Vanstine  R.  D'Mars  are 
returning  from  a  boat  ride.  They  are  the  first  born 
of  parents  wedded  in  the  sunshine.  A  cloud  never 
darkened  their  path  of  love  since  childhood.  With 
hearts  pure  as  the  forest  lilly  they  are  prepared  to 
enjoy  the  feast  of  joy  ever  prepared  for  affinities. 

Our  story  is  ended.  Let  us  draw  the  curtain. 
As  long  as  the  chain  of  love  unites  all  below  and  above, 
affinities  will  seek  and  find  each  other  and  love's  vic- 
tory over  self  will  be  their  award. 

If  D'Mar's  Affinity  has  shed  a  ray  of  light  upon 
some  dark  pathway,  kindled  the  spark  of  hope  in  some 
despairing  heart,  banished  the  cloud  of  worry  from 
some  weary  mind,  our  effort  has  not  been  in  vain. 


THE  END. 


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